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sleddog
10-28-2010, 03:22 PM
10/28/10
Bug Lighters,

Greetings from Capitola. Well Done, Bill, on your exceptional service to SSS. And welcome aboard Commodore Max!

We anxiously await the launching of “Wisdom,” Alan H.'s new skerry. His PHRF just came in, and with a rating of 426, we are all in trouble. Meanwhile, I can't let Alan have all the fun playing in sawdust and glue. Read on:

Most of you know a little over two years ago I abandoned and scuttled WILDFLOWER returning from Hanalei. At the time, shoreside family responsibilities were paramount. To risk going missing, or becoming object of a dangerous and expensive rescue weighed heavily on my ultimate decision.

Many of you have asked when I'd be getting a new boat. WILDFLOWER was my home, office, calling card, and magic carpet for 34 years since I built her in Alameda. She is irreplaceable.

As a result of WILDFLOWER being uninsurable, I was set back on my sea boots. I walked docks, visited boatyards, perused ads, and trialed beckoning designs. I was determined not to rush into something. But my goal was clear: to get back afloat where my passion and skill could be returned into play.

A month ago a serendipitous event presented itself. I drove to Port Townsend for the annual Wooden Boat Festival where a small cruising catamaran called an ECO cat (for "ECOnomy") caught my eye.

Then shortly after returning home to Santa Cruz, I ran into an old friend, Howard Spruit, one of the original Santa Cruz surfers, ultralight designers and boat builders. I told Howard what I had seen. His response floored me. "We can build one of those. Let's do it!"

If there are three things you want for a boat building project, experience, enthusiasm, and a flush bank account top the list. I had two out of three. I couldn't afford to build a new boat. I couldn't afford not to.

Sometimes one has to go with the tide. Though I have minimal experience with catamarans and my learning curve is steep, we are beginning construction on cruising cat here in the garage. Mom, watching from her Sunroom, is not sure what to think. The termites in the garage rafters are dropping cellulose filler into the glue on command.

The boat, as yet unnamed, will be 22' LOA with road legal 8'6" of beam, and 1100 pounds of displacement, trailerable behind my mini-van. A single daggerboard, kickup C/L rudder, a Hoyt jib boom, a cozy cabin. Power will be a Hobie 18 sailing rig using second hand beachcat equipment. No wing mast, Larry. A 5 horse outboard will push the boat in calm conditions. Construction is Meranti marine plywood and West System epoxy glue. Destinations will be near shore cruises from the Channel Islands to the Pacific NW, the Delta, Lake Tahoe, possibly Alaska. Anywhere accessible by road and launch ramp.

Attached is a perspective drawing. I value suggestions, questions, and participation.

If you'd like to donate time, we have glue to spread. If you have gear sitting in the backyard or locker, we are looking for a trailer, anchor, sails, boom, tiller extension, outboard, etc. Or, if you just want to send a couple of bucks, that would help navigate us over some thin financial waters.

I can't promise much in return but photo updates and participation in an exciting project.

Stay tuned. Go Giants!

~skip allan aka sleddog
310 McCormick Ave.
Capitola, CA 95010
ph. 831-475-0278
e-mail: skipallan (at) sbcglobal.net

BobJ
10-28-2010, 03:42 PM
Great news, Sled!

Having just finished a refit, I have a ton of stuff. Perhaps a more detailed list would help when you get a chance. I have a Spinlock tiller extension laying around, lots of Harken blocks, a bin of SS machine screws, washers and nuts, etc.

Meantime is that address the right place to send your Vallejo 1-2 shirt?

AlanH
10-29-2010, 12:12 PM
I'm bolting a 400 pound steel plate on the bottom of the skerry, and adding a 5 foot bowsprit so that the boat is eligible for a PHRF rating and then you are all in trouble! Besides, my boat comes with oars. I will obliterate you all, in light air!

Actually I am being tempted, and am looking into bringing a boat out from the East Coast. Why? Well...it's a long story, but it has to do with the book "Blue Water, Green Skipper". Much depends on what trucking a boat out here will cost. I expect the expense will be a deal-killer, but we shall see.

Mister Sleddog, I think your project sounds like a load of fun, and I'm thinking I might have a few bits and pieces for you.

BobJ
10-29-2010, 08:54 PM
The boat he sailed in the OSTAR? Come on, spill it . . .

jfoster
11-01-2010, 10:57 AM
10/28/10
SNIP
The boat, as yet unnamed, will be 22' LOA with road legal 8'6" of beam, and 1100 pounds of displacement, trailerable behind my mini-van. A single daggerboard, kickup C/L rudder, a Hoyt jib boom, a cozy cabin. Power will be a Hobie 18 sailing rig using second hand beachcat equipment. No wing mast, Larry. A 5 horse outboard will push the boat in calm conditions. Construction is Meranti marine plywood and West System epoxy glue. Destinations will be near shore cruises from the Channel Islands to the Pacific NW, the Delta, Lake Tahoe, possibly Alaska. Anywhere accessible by road and launch ramp.

Attached is a perspective drawing. I value suggestions, questions, and participation.SNIP
~skip allan aka sleddog SNIP

Skip may have been travelling when the Seot 09 issue of Latitude 39 ran an article on the even smaller Catamaran Miss Cindy.

You can download the whole Sept 2009 issue as a PDF file and reread it yourself. http://www.latitude38.com/ebooks.html


MISS CINDY Tony Bigras' one-year, 6,000-mile cruise from Vancouver to Florida — via Central America and Cuba — was unusual for several of reasons. For example, the 52-year-old built Miss Cindy in just 450 hours, at a total cost of $8,500 for everything from sandpaper to electonics. He was able to take her from the boatyard to her launch in Baja atop an old station wagon. The cat's main anchor only weighs 11 pounds, yet held the boat in up to 40 knots of wind. He was able to take her 95% of the way from the Pacific to the Caribbean — via Lake Nicaragua and the Rio San Juan — on her own bottom. Because she only displaces about 1,000 pounds, she hit a top speed of 15.8 knots on the way. As you can undoubtedly deduce, Bigras' Turtle Island 16 micro cruiser is a bit smaller than the average cruising cat. Miss Cindy is just 16'3" long, and has a beam of only 8'5". The masts for her bi-plane lug rig are 17 feet tall, and she sets a total of 200 sq. ft. of sail. Able to carry a 500-pound payload, Miss Cindy's typical speed under sail was 3 to 7 knots. She's equipped with a 2-hp outboard for calms, which allows her to cruise at 4.25 knots at 15 mpg. The micro cat's hull was built of quarter-inch marine ply, stitched and glued, then sheathed with e-glass and epoxy. Her masts are hollow fir.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7584570/L38200909.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7584570/L38200909car.jpg

Mitch
11-01-2010, 11:24 AM
Hi Skip,
I've got some various bits laying around, top of a windsurfer rig(tiller?), a robust extruded glass tube that might be useful as the sprit, some 3/8" foam offcuts if that would be useful, and a 4' x 6' laminated carbon/ .725 foam/ carbon setup that could be used as a bulkhead or 2.

Do you ever get up near SF?

Greg
Contour 34 Trimaran

AlanH
11-01-2010, 11:55 AM
The boat he sailed in the OSTAR? Come on, spill it . . .

dum te dum......:rolleyes:

maybe....

sleddog
06-09-2011, 10:12 PM
6/10/11
Greetings from Capitola,

A quick update on the build of the new cat: The hulls are complete and joined. Next up is to lay the bridgedeck, paint the bottom, turn the boat right way up, and begin the cabin and cockpit. The rudder, daggerboard, hatches, trailer, outboard, and rig are on site, with the Hobie 18 mast and boom stepped on the backyard deck for practice.

Big thanks to all who have supported this project, especially BLUEBERRY, RAGTIME, SECOND VERSE, GOLDEN DRAGONFLY, OEX, and MOKUAKALANA. No name yet. Launch date hopefully this Fall. Standing invite to all SSS supporters to come visit.

No backyard boat building project would be complete without the story of having to cut off part of the house...true in our case, but nothing a little putty and paint won't fix.

Thanks, Bob J for the great ride on RAGTIME in the recent Spinnaker Cup. Good luck to all in the Long Pac.

~sleddog

AlanH
06-13-2011, 12:04 PM
Well, well, well. Look at that!

Rapscallion
06-20-2011, 03:38 AM
Interesting Choice. The design reminds me of a Jarcat. I am also interested in a boat that fits your design brief:

1.) Easily trailer-able, meaning can be be pulled with a car and set up quickly at the dock... quickly enough to be considered a true trailer sailor... No slip required.

2.) Cheap! Your boat fits that rather nicely, I too was going to use a beachcat rig.

3.) fast and simple build..

4.) built as a single handed competitor, capable of offshore racing..

My solution was an 8 meter trimaran, similar to the 18' sardine run, but using connectives like the L7; extren beams. Basically its a 22' trimaran stretched to 8 meters like Sobedo, to help with pitchpolling. Like Sardine Run, the boat has simple dory hulls and plenty of freeboard. I wanted a dry ride (relative application of this term) compared to an Fboat of this size. The centerboards are on the floats to open up the main hull, and there is standing headroom under the hatchway.

I live on Lake Michigan, so the solo mac is my immediate goal, and the record for that race is held by an F25c. The L7 trimaran is almost as fast as an F25c, but in my opinion the kit for that boat is very costly. It is a great boat, but I only wanted to spend 5,000US on my first home build. Using a used beach cat rig, Aeromarine epoxy, and Ultraply XL plywood, and treating the ply with boric acid and other inexpensive compounds to further weather treat it.

What I really like about your choice is the room you have in the cabin, Vs. a trimaran, and you don't have sliding connectives, which are an added expense. Your boat should be fast; much faster than a mono hull of similar size.

sleddog
06-30-2011, 05:58 AM
6/30/2011 With 15 crew, we picked the the new cat up yesterday, set her on her side, and rolled her right way up. She looks great. Much work ahead to build the cockpit, cabin, and interior. But we have momentum.

Regarding previous poster's comments, #3 and #4 are not in operation. Building a wood cat from scratch is not a fast and simple build. We've been 9 months and 1,000 hours to date, and that is not counting engineering and chasing down parts and materials.

Similarly, this cat is not intended as a single-handed competitor, nor an offshore racer. She is designed as a trailerable, nearshore, performance cruiser with a good turn of speed and load carrying capability. Upwind, the cat may sail VMG similar to a Santana 22. Reaching, hopefully will plane with a Wylie Wabbit.
Downwind, an ALERION 28?

jfoster
07-07-2011, 10:42 AM
I look forward to some shots of the interior construction that will explain why the "John Hatch" is offset to one side.
John of Blueberry

sleddog
12-22-2011, 07:23 AM
12/22/11
Holiday Greetings, Buglighters!

A quick update from Capitola on the new cat at 2,000 hours: hulls, deck, cockpit, and cabin are complete. First coat of primer is on the deck. We cut out the cabin windows yesterday, and have started building the rudder attachment. The modified Hobie 18 rig is standing in the backyard. Hope to have her sailing this Spring.

Recent visitors have been Mark and Carla, and Syn. Syn is sewing the bunk cushion and other parts.

Best wishes to all in the New Year. And if you are in the Santa Cruz Area, come for a look see! ~sleddog (skip allan) eightthreeonefoursevenfivezerotwoseveneight

BobJ
12-23-2011, 09:31 AM
Skip says the "little cat" is for cruising but I'm not buying it. I see that finely-burnished shark white Micron on the bottom (bottoms?) and that specially-designed dousing hatch for the gollywobbler. The next photo will show the dual satellite domes on the transoms and USAF-wind tunnel tested six element wing sail.

Good work Skip, and a Happy Christmas to you!

sleddog
01-03-2012, 07:32 PM
Sunny New Year's Day saw Jonathan and Christine pedaling into town for a visit. Avid supporters of SSS, Jonathan and Christine also edit the online sailing venue NorCal Sailing. It was fun to see them, and their ground level tour of the new cat resulted in a fun article and nice photos at http://www.norcalsailing.com/

The non-skid, using Interlux Brightside Seattle Grey and finely ground walnut shells (it's a wood boat ;)) turned out agreeably well. As neither a roller or brush gave a satisfactory surface, I used the daubing technique to good effect. Anyone interested is welcome to query as to the formula and technique.

Thanks also to RAGTIME for "outing" the new cat as a racer in sheep's wool. Only time will tell if Bob is correct and this is an AC-22 in disguise we are building. Meanwhile, Morgan Larson's donated Moore 24 spinny looks excitingly big on our cat's recycled Hobie 18 rig, currently stepped on the backyard deck with shrouds led to concrete flower planters. Howard likes to remind me that the new cat will weigh only half of what a Moore 24 weighs. ~Yiiii doggies.

ronnie simpson
01-03-2012, 11:20 PM
Only in Santa Cruz do you get past-SHTP champions planing around on home-built catamarans with Hobie 18 rigs and Moore 24 kites. Reminds me how much I love Santa Cruz!

Keep up the good work Skip. Your new boat looks great, and really inspires a desire to build a boat. Do you need any running rigging?

Best

Ronnie

AlanH
01-09-2012, 12:10 PM
Now, that just looks grand....and a DOUBLE BED..... Oy, ve!

sleddog
01-20-2012, 07:43 AM
1/20/12

This week has seen the kick-up rudder, tiller, traveler, anchor rollers, and jib leads positioned and mounted. The companion way hatches and tracks are being secured. The rotating mast step and chain plates are engineered and built, and soon to be affixed. Mast step allows either forward (low bridges) or aft (trailering) lowering. The current MVP is the Makita cordless drill. Just learned there is a difference between Reed & Prince and Phillips screw heads!

Synbad was here yesterday, with more good suggestions for canvas details. Synthia knows her stuff and I commend her professionalism to all who require anything in the sailmaking and canvas department.

Our new boat would not be happening without wonderful support and gear donations from friends. John: your stern pulpit, bisected, fits perfectly and lends excellent safety to the cockpit. RAGTIME's recycled deck gear is recognizable to the discerning...Ronnie: thanks for the offer and I will get back to you.

There are still gaps to be filled, and the Wish List remains at 2 pages. But there is little to prevent our boat from taking the Bay, hopefully in March. I can't offer much in return except a sail on our new cat. But if your garage or locker holds a winch handle, boat hook, fenders in the 16" range, or an anchor under 14 pounds, they would find good use aboard. A solar panel and tiller pilot may have to wait...

Hope to see our SSS friends and fleet soon. For any contemplating SHTP '12, I'd be glad to donate a couple of hours of consultation to you. But you will probably have to come to Capitola to pick my brain. Onward. ~sleddog

Deep6
01-21-2012, 03:52 PM
10/28/10
Bug Lighters,

Greetings from Capitola. Well Done, Bill, on your exceptional service to SSS. And welcome aboard Commodore Max!

We anxiously await the launching of “Wisdom,” Alan H.'s new skerry. His PHRF just came in, and with a rating of 426, we are all in trouble. Meanwhile, I can't let Alan have all the fun playing in sawdust and glue. Read on:

Most of you know a little over two years ago I abandoned and scuttled WILDFLOWER returning from Hanalei. At the time, shoreside family responsibilities were paramount. To risk going missing, or becoming object of a dangerous and expensive rescue weighed heavily on my ultimate decision.

Many of you have asked when I'd be getting a new boat. WILDFLOWER was my home, office, calling card, and magic carpet for 34 years since I built her in Alameda. She is irreplaceable.

As a result of WILDFLOWER being uninsurable, I was set back on my sea boots. I walked docks, visited boatyards, perused ads, and trialed beckoning designs. I was determined not to rush into something. But my goal was clear: to get back afloat where my passion and skill could be returned into play.

A month ago a serendipitous event presented itself. I drove to Port Townsend for the annual Wooden Boat Festival where a small cruising catamaran called an ECO cat (for "ECOnomy") caught my eye.

Then shortly after returning home to Santa Cruz, I ran into an old friend, Howard Spruit, one of the original Santa Cruz surfers, ultralight designers and boat builders. I told Howard what I had seen. His response floored me. "We can build one of those. Let's do it!"

If there are three things you want for a boat building project, experience, enthusiasm, and a flush bank account top the list. I had two out of three. I couldn't afford to build a new boat. I couldn't afford not to.

Sometimes one has to go with the tide. Though I have minimal experience with catamarans and my learning curve is steep, we are beginning construction on cruising cat here in the garage. Mom, watching from her Sunroom, is not sure what to think. The termites in the garage rafters are dropping cellulose filler into the glue on command.

The boat, as yet unnamed, will be 22' LOA with road legal 8'6" of beam, and 1100 pounds of displacement, trailerable behind my mini-van. A single daggerboard, kickup C/L rudder, a Hoyt jib boom, a cozy cabin. Power will be a Hobie 18 sailing rig using second hand beachcat equipment. No wing mast, Larry. A 5 horse outboard will push the boat in calm conditions. Construction is Meranti marine plywood and West System epoxy glue. Destinations will be near shore cruises from the Channel Islands to the Pacific NW, the Delta, Lake Tahoe, possibly Alaska. Anywhere accessible by road and launch ramp.

Attached is a perspective drawing. I value suggestions, questions, and participation.

If you'd like to donate time, we have glue to spread. If you have gear sitting in the backyard or locker, we are looking for a trailer, anchor, sails, boom, tiller extension, outboard, etc. Or, if you just want to send a couple of bucks, that would help navigate us over some thin financial waters.

I can't promise much in return but photo updates and participation in an exciting project.

Stay tuned. Go Giants!

~skip allan aka sleddog
310 McCormick Ave.
Capitola, CA 95010
ph. 831-475-0278
e-mail: skipallan (at) sbcglobal.net


I have a full Hobie 16 you can have, trailer and all.

Boat is in San Jose. The only thing it needs is to fill the tires with air "if they still hold air"

Rig / hulls / rudder / sail's are in good shape. Trampoline is in poor shape, needs work. Currently it's not registered, but could be.

This boat has taken a back seat to the other boat "cinnabar" ;)

Rich---

sleddog
01-21-2012, 08:06 PM
Hi Rich,
Thanks for your generous offer. But no room in the driveway for another boat! Many Hobie 16 parts on this new cat already.

Fond memories of Tree Time with you channeling SHTP radio check-ins from a wire led out the boot of your bumblebee rent-a-car tossed over a branch of an adjacent ironwood tree. Good times. Come visit. ~skip

AlanH
01-22-2012, 03:32 PM
I have an anchor and rode for ya! We gotta figure out the exchange. I will probably be in SC next Saturday...

sleddog
01-25-2012, 07:54 AM
Back yard boat building isn't all glue and screws. Yesterday was an example of what I call "politics:" The CG wouldn't accept my documentation application. Apparently the internal volume isn't sufficient to carry 12 hay bales. The dreaded trip to the DMV to register the new cat was at hand.

I arrived on time for the appointment. The clerk reviewed the two page application and said I owed $459. I said "no way, I'd already paid sales tax on every piece of the boat." I offered my carefully ordered receipts and tally lists.

She seemed confused, took the receipts, and headed for the copy machine. Then thought better and consulted her superior. I fell asleep standing at the counter. 20 minutes later she emerged, telling me I had "fibbed." She had added every receipt and found an $8 dollar difference. Say what? I had totaled them 4x and was confident.

The good news is the tax was waived and registration bill was reduced to $29. I was issued my HIN (Hull ID) and CF numbers and stickers. The HIN has to be permanently affixed in two places in 1/4" figures. The CF numbers have to be 3" block letters.

I was ready to escape with my success. Not so fast. The clerk wanted to be very clear she was issuing me two carbon monoxide stickers. By (new) state law one sticker must be posted in the interior and the larger 7" one on the transom.

I read the CO stickers. They warn of brain damage, even death, and advise to get fresh air if feeling nausea, headache, dizziness, or drowsiness. I was feeling all four as I walked out to the car. Just a morning at the DMV, not included in the manual on boat building.....

BobJ
01-25-2012, 09:27 AM
"The (DMV) clerk" . . . "She seemed confused" - These two statements are redundant.

"I had totaled them 4x and was confident." Proving once again what we accountants all know: the calculator is mightier than the sword.

"The CF numbers have to be 3" block letters." Apart from the additional skin friction hampering the air flow over the hulls, this is really bad feng shui. One (serious) suggestion is to apply them to the sides of the boom.

"The clerk wanted to be very clear she was issuing me two carbon monoxide stickers. By (new) state law one sticker must be posted in the interior and the larger 7" one on the transom."

Had we sailors found a way to get more fresh air they might not have had to pass this law. I've noticed a high level of compliance with it - immediately after January 1st these stickers have been appearing on the transoms of nearly every boat I've seen! The problem is they don't seem to stay attached - it must be poor glue.

Jonathan Gutoff
01-25-2012, 10:57 AM
Do I need to put one on my Banshee?

BobJ
01-25-2012, 03:40 PM
I want one of those stickers!

What # Banshee do you have? I had #515 - not only one of the funner boats I've owned, but the only boat I ever sold at a profit!

sleddog
01-31-2012, 08:25 AM
We bolted the chain plates in yesterday. The rotating mast step is next on the list. Then hopefully can step the mast, which currently stands in the garden on an umbrella cement base with shrouds tied off to a flower planter and two fence posts.

We are now at the stage where we use 5200 more than epoxy. 5200 adheres better to metal than epoxy. Just don't get it on your clothes or shoes.

Politics continue: I want to insure the boat, both for liability and damage, especially as she will be trailerable for coastal cruising. BoatUS seemed a logical place to start. I filled in an online "quick quote." And checked the appropriate boxes. Some boxes were confusing as to which to answer. Is the new boat a "sailboat," a "sail with auxiliary," or a "multi-hull?"

BoatU.S. promptly mailed two quotes, one for "our popular Boat Saver policy." And one for the "more comprehensive Yacht Policy." Both quotes notably featured $854,000 coverage for a fuel spill liability. Say what? Our outboard tank is a 3 gallon jerry jug.

I called up the BoatU.S.insurance help line. Sheryl was nice. but couldn't answer my questions: "Can I decline the fuel spill coverage?" "Does a 6 hp outboard count as an auxiliary?" Sheryl passed me on to John in the underwriting department.

John was most business like. He chided me for not describing the boat more fully and not revealing we were building a multi-hull. He asked who designed and built the boat. I replied Howard Spruit and myself are co-designer/builders. I could visualize the warning sirens and red lights going off.

John asked if we were licensed, had an engineering degree, a degree in metallurgy, and a full set of construction plans. I said we had both worked for yacht designers and builders for over 40 years. Howard has designed and built numerous boats, including ROCKET 88.

The conversation went no where except "we don't normally insure home built boats." "If you were a Catalina 22, we'd have you fixed up in a heartbeat."

Hmmm. I was told by BoatU.S "don't call us, we'll call you." Sound familiar, single-handers? It's on to Plan B......

www
02-01-2012, 01:06 PM
Sounds familiar to me! When I got Horizon a few years ago, I looked first at Boat US for insurance. I was told, "It's a 30 year old boat!", and that was about the end of the conversation.

Got a decent policy with Bay Risk, right here in Alameda.

www

Phil MacFarlane
02-01-2012, 05:45 PM
I had no problems insuring my Ericson 35 which is 41 years old and insuring Wafi which is a home built boat. Both with Boat US.
Maybe it all depends on who you geton the phone?

ronnie simpson
02-02-2012, 07:14 AM
I have insured every boat ive owned with progressive. Cheap, over the phone, no hassles. Ive never needed a survey or anything.

sleddog
02-03-2012, 11:57 PM
Bug Lighters: It's been a fun week at the driveway boatshop. We need rain. But continuing fair weather benefits our outdoor building program. The dual companionway sliding hatches are nearly done, the boat is wired for a single battery, 6 switch breaker panel, a 150 watt inverter, Alpenglow cabin light, and 8 hockey puck 3xAAA LED lights picked up at Orchard for $3.95 each.

Neighbor Morgan (Larson) stopped by with a box of "jewelry" from his 49'er program. I'd never seen a micro dinghy spinnaker sheet block with invisible ratchet that progressively tightens as the load increases.

I have great sympathy for modern insurance agents. My father, fresh out of the military in WWII, became a yacht insurance agent. His area was Santa Barbara to San Diego, and he personally knew all his clients and their boats. Boats were smaller in those days, and among others, Dad had most of the International 14 class under his wing.

One night about mid-night, Dad gets a call from a client enroute from S.Cal to Toronto for the Prince of Wales Bowl. This skipper/crew had parked their rig at an all night diner for some grub, not noticing their Int.14 mast (wood in those days) overhung the adjacent railroad bed.

Along comes the California Zephyr, or whatever it was called back then, and the whippy dinghy mast punches out more than a couple of the passenger windows in the train before breaking the mast tip off. I don't remember the resolution, but don't think my father slept that night.

My father always stressed two things about insurance: Be honest with the facts, because you never know when something will come back to bite you. And know your agent personally, because he will be the one to help you in the event of trouble.

I fear times have changed in the bigger, faster, computerized world. I doubt agents have much say today on what goes on at corporate headquarters. I'm at a loss how one large insurance company, who advertises in Latitude-38, claims a discount available if one's yacht has LORAN. I am not unhappy that this particular company, in a lengthy phone call, turned me away because my boat has "a tunnel hull," their definition of a catamaran.

sleddog
02-09-2012, 05:21 AM
2/10/12
Completed the companion way hatches yesterday. Next up, literally, is to bolt on the mast step and step the mast for rigging lengths. The mast rotates, as well as raises/ lowers fore or aft. Being a maxi-driveway cat, the birds that live in the bottle brush abutting the port hull have gotten quite used to the activity and watch at close range with chirping curiosity. It is not unusual to have robins and sparrows fly into the cabin for inspection. If they start nesting aboard, it really is time to launch.

I'm sure once completed, the further away from the driveway, the smaller the cat will become. For the moment, she looks huge. Apparently also to my 90 year old mother, who looks out the window and says, "will you be bringing THAT in the house?"

Before achieving success, I may have established some unenviable record for getting turned down for insurance: Verbally and in writing I've been told by BoatU.S: "we don't insure boats of your type, design, or build." Heritage: "no multi-hulls." Progressive: "do not have a program for watercraft with your description. Farmers: "Tricky..." McGinnis was straightforward "No." Bay Risk wanted a survey and while I was arranging that, called back to decline. BoatU.S continued to pester with e-mails, and when I reminded them they'd turned me down already, they said "send photos" ....I sent those and a resume and that was the last I heard.

Finally success through a firm in Annapolis who insures my brother's home built wooden boats. They know their boats, sailors, personalized service, fair rates, coverage for all N.America waters. Onward. ~sledcat, aka sleddog

Eric Thomas
02-13-2012, 09:29 PM
Skip been a long time, Sarah and I had a baby last year so I have been busy. Great to read your boat building adventure. Got any last items you need? Remember I run a yard and we are buried in old boat parts both at home and in the garage , One of my staff is trailering his O30 out for PAC cup in may and can deliver! Take care. Polar Bears

sleddog
02-14-2012, 01:10 AM
Eric: Great to hear from you! Congrats to you and Sarah. Thank you for your boat parts offer. I will keep you posted if we need anything. Currently a bucket of money and a barrel of time would be most helpful.

For those of you who remember, Eric gave his well prepped O30 POLAR BEAR one fine ride in the 2008 SHTP, and was first-to-finish, second overall. Eric's adventure began even before reaching SF, when he ran POLAR BEAR through the Bonneville Salt Flats speedway and set a land speed record for a sailboat pulled behind a pickup. This run confirmed Eric as a true lifetime bugliter even though he usually sails on fresh water near Duluth, MN.

Eric and POLAR BEAR were immortalized on the cover of Lat-38, showing how to "hang 10" at the Hanalei finish while planing under spinnaker. If I'm not mistaken (Eric, correct me if I'm wrong), POLAR BEAR's SHTP success made them celebrities at the Minnesota State Fair where a full scale POLAR BEAR was carved out of butter, becoming the only O30 to melt in the heat of a Minnesota Sept. afternoon.

For those who were wondering, winter arrived today, Feb.13, in Central California. To stay warm, we had to run the heater in the boat while cutting floorboards. Outside, the steady rain didn't deter the birdsong coming from the adjacent bottlebrush.

It was great to see SSS tribe represented yesterday at Rob Moore's Celebration of Life at CYC. The afternoon was filled with Rob's friends sharing memories that brought tears and laughter, often at that same time. For 18 years Rob was racing editor at Latitude 38. His courageous story of the last two years is eloquently told at http://rkmoore.wordpress.com

Outside the window at CYC was anchored one of our SSS icons. Not only did this boat win the DH Farallones Race one windy Spring. But has also sailed more miles in SF Bay than any boat in history. Lucie M. guessed MIRAGE, and was nearly right. Jonathan knew right away when he saw the black hull. First one to post the correct answer below wins a sail aboard our new cat.

AlanH
02-14-2012, 05:38 PM
I saw the boat on Sunday when I dropped off an old anchor.

It's COOL. Skip is doing a great job on her. Did I say that it's cool?

sleddog
02-17-2012, 11:25 PM
2/17/12 Cause for celebration day: this week we completed carpentry. The overhead driveway tarps were cut down, and the boat is fully exposed to our benign winter weather. Today we lowered the mast from the umbrella base on the backyard deck, maneuvered it under the blossoming plum tree, set the mast tip on the garage roof, then Howard, Joe, and I walked the mast vertical on the boat and tensioned the rigging without incident, but with some accelerated heart rates. Next up is to jack the boat and cradle up, and slip under an athwartships balance beam. This will help determine the boat's balance point (horizontal center of gravity) necessary for 1) making lifting bridles and attachment points on deck 2) moving the axle on the trailer to achieve proper tongue weight.

Thanks to DIANNE and VINGILOTHIEL for recent contributions!

Great to see HAULBACK making sailing plans. Jim, I hope we can get together somewhere this Fall. I hope to have the new cat in the Gulf Islands in July. If you are around, give a shout.

sleddog
02-19-2012, 08:13 PM
This afternoon, after securely blocking the wheels on the cradle, I set the white sails. First up: the Star jib, which needed its battens removed to facilitate roller furling. Then the Hobie 18 main, which looked a little dated with its 9 full length battens. I removed every other batten, attached luff slugs, and the main, though a bit on the small side, looks serviceable.

The wind was light. No flying ahull today ;-)

Culebra
02-20-2012, 10:08 PM
She shore is perty! Nice sail trim by the way.

sleddog
02-21-2012, 06:44 AM
Report from the driveway: In a scene out of Bug Liter meets Egyptian Pyramid Builder, yesterday I loaded the boat with its gear, anchors, outboard and fuel, rudder, inflatable dinghy, etc. Howard and I then jacked up the boat and balanced the hull and cradle on some 2"x2"'s set on cinder blocks. Moving the 2"x2"'s laterally in half inch increments, we were able to determine the fulcrum and balance point of the boat.

The balance point, 20" aft of the mast, is critical. It helps determine where to position the lifting sling eyes and where to relocate the trailer axle. The boat was teetering like a giant seesaw. With a light touch of a finger, I could make the cat hobby horse like she was plunging upwind in the short chop of a San Pablo Bay ebb. ~ sleddog 2/21/12

Travieso
02-21-2012, 07:42 PM
Congrats, getting closer to splash day!

haulback
02-21-2012, 10:36 PM
Hey Skip:

Look forward to meeting up with you in the Gulf Islands this summer. Let me know when you are headed up this way. I am sure Haulback will be up for it by then.

Jim

sleddog
02-24-2012, 05:50 PM
2/24/12

It was a good day to "fly a hull." We moved the trailer axle forward about 3'. Then jacked up the boat to slide the trailer under.....Things went smoothly and the boat now rests on its trailer.

sleddog
03-01-2012, 08:39 AM
3/1/12

With the cat well secured to the trailer, we launched the spinnaker yesterday in a gusty southerly. A Capitola PD drove by, did a double take, and nearly rear ended a car at the stop sign.

The jib boom is complete and will be bolted on today. It pivots horizontally and vertically, so it can be folded up out of the way and lashed to the headstay. The curved portion of an old windsurfer boom serves as both vang and support. The jib boom is auto tacking and allows the jib to maintain shape at wider reaching angles.

No one correctly answered the quiz "what SSS icon won the windy DH Farallones
Race as well as having sailed more SF Bay miles than any boat in history?"

The answer would be in 1982, during particularly nasty spring conditions, the black hulled RUBY, skippered by Josh Pryor and crewed by Bob Daniels, used her long waterline to win the DH Farallones Race. The 64', steel hulled, RUBY can be seen most days sailing the Bay taking out many and assorted passengers, as she has for 30 years. http://rubysailing.com/

sleddog
03-04-2012, 08:33 PM
Morgan's Moore 24 spinny looking good. Splash date set: Sat. March 24.

Jan Brewer
03-05-2012, 07:05 PM
Hi Skip,

She's lookin' like one mean kitty! Great pic and I'm excited for you to splash on 3/24.

Jan

BobJ
03-05-2012, 11:00 PM
Why does all the good stuff happen just before April 15th?

pogen
03-06-2012, 04:13 PM
Why does all the good stuff happen just before April 15th?

Yes, the shorthanded schedule is really packed, all 5 Saturdays from March 17 through April 14. But a real desert in October/November.

sleddog
03-13-2012, 10:07 PM
3/12/12

Trailed the cat to the Harbor to adjust lifting slings and test attachments. The boat lifted level first time. The scale read 800 pounds. Big kitty was frisky, so we dropped her in the Harbor for a little cruise under power. With 6 hp OB, saw 6 knots at cruising revs and 7.4 at max throttle. All eyes on official launch Sat. March 24.

Thanks to Ronnie for the visit and spinny sheet!


119

AlanH
03-15-2012, 04:25 PM
Definitely going to be there!!!

sleddog
03-17-2012, 02:02 PM
"Backyard," or in our case "Driveway," built boats are of necessity an eclectic mixture of skill, parts, and energy. Making do with what we got was the mantra. Boat parts came from WILDFLOWER, RAGTIME, MERLIN, BRUZER and MOKUALANA, just to name a few.

But we would not have got this boat done without the enthusiasm and gifts of time, parts, money, and the skills of guest contributors.

Thankyou, John Foster, for the hatches, outboard, and rudders. Bob Johnston for the donation of deck gear and halyards. Joel Woods for getting us "off the ground." Gene Sofen for the many hours of grunt labor as we sanded and faired, nailed and glassed. Alan Hebert for the ground tackle. Ronnie Simpson for the spinny sheets. Morgan Larson for the spinnaker and blocks, Jeremy Leonard for the mast, boom, and main.

Thankyou also to AJ for help buying glue. Cathy Sy for keeping the shop clean and clamps running free. Rainer for the punting pole, Jay Crum for the anodizing run, Edwin Maybe for help with stainless fabrication, Eileen Sundet for varnish patrol, Steve Mason for the traveler and tiller extension, Joe Buck for nav station expertise, Matthew Coale for splicing the shrouds. And Syn Petroka for the beautiful bunk cushion, pockets, and weather cloths.

Special thanks also to my brother Scott for the jib, to my sister Marilee and husband Tom for a most wonderful gift, and to Annie Kennedy for the "break time" treats of tea and crumpets.

But we wouldn't be where we are today without the skill of WILDFLOWER's designer and co-builder, Howard Spruit. For those who don't know Howard, his eye for design, including over 75 working drawings; his craftsmanship; and his patience over the last 18 months has been inspirational. Thankyou Howard.

WILDFLOWER is her name. It's a good name, a proud name, carrying on a tradition while bringing a smile to my face thinking of voyages past, present, and to come.

~skip

Harrier
03-17-2012, 05:53 PM
Congratulations, Skip. I know everyone is proud of the effort. Hope to see you and her(?) soon.
Ken

AlanH
03-21-2012, 02:54 PM
Sleddog, weather.gov says it's gonna be dumping rain in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Let us know what the plans are. If you're gonna launch, rain or no, then I'll be there.

sleddog
03-21-2012, 06:35 PM
Hi Alan,
Rain or shine, the boat is being launched Saturday, 12-2 pm .... hope to see as many friends as possible.
~skip

sleddog
03-25-2012, 09:54 PM
3/25/12

Yesterday's launch of WILDFLOWER was a most happy event. The rain held off, and 50-60 attendees enjoyed food and drink. Annie Kennedy christened the boat. Dave Wahle operated the hoist, and after splashdown, we took Harbor cruises with 10-12 crew aboard (1800 pounds), temporarily setting WF a bit over her lines.

Attendees from out of town included Bill Merrick, Synthia Petroka and GF, Sylvia Seaburg and Tom Condy, John Foster, Jan Brewer, Robert Flowerman, Alan Herbert, Phil and Joanne MacFarlane, Ed Ruszel, Jonathan Gutoff and Christine Weaver, Cathy Sy, Cris Todd, Marilee Allan and Tom Ashkenas, and several inquisitive sea otters.

Annie and I conducted initial seatrials today. The wind was initially 2-5 knots until 3 pm, when it filled from the west at 14-16. WILDFLOWER felt frisky, and we skimmed along at 9-11 knots under plain sail according to the Velocitek.

AlanH
03-26-2012, 10:35 AM
9-11 knots under that rig, in 14-16? Yeah, that seems "frisky"! She's a wonderful little cruiser, Skip...you guys are gonna have a blast.

Phil MacFarlane
03-26-2012, 06:40 PM
Skip, we are so happy for you. Wildflower is an awesome little boat and we wish you many many happy adventures with her.

sleddog
03-26-2012, 06:56 PM
More shaking down today on WILDFLOWER. Good fun with Howard, the designer aboard. We found with outboard and rudder hard over, the boat spins on its daggerboard axis with no forward advancement. This may prove invaluable in tight quarters.

We flew the spinny for the first time and did several inside jibes in 14 knots TWS. Jibing was easy, even without a sprit. Just have to remember not to roll the lazy sheet up in the jib furler ;-) Howard had her going 10.3 on the thrill meter and was impressed with the control of the centerline RudderCraft rudder http://www.idasailor.com/catalog/default.php

sleddog
04-02-2012, 10:35 PM
4/2/12

Congrats to Ronnie and Ruben and all finishers of DH Farallones.

Sunday's big swell has closed Santa Cruz Harbor, creating a perfect tubular wave for surfers across the entrance. The dredge will be hard pressed to punch out before salmon season opener this weekend.

Some have asked about WILDFLOWER's jib boom.

The jib boom was chosen both for self tacking, and for self vanging at wide angles. Although intrigued by the Hoyt jib boom, we couldn't afford the weight, space, and expense. Howard fashioned a better deal with a Hobie boom and some SS tube. The vang is a piece of curved Windsurfer boom. This supports the jib boom as well as vanging it. The jib boom's vanged height is adjustable.

To date, the jib boom is a success. At AWA 140, the jib retains nice shape, obviating the need for bigger sails off the wind, a blessing for this cruising cat with its senior crew. Best speed to date on the Velocitek was 11.8 under main and jib with TWS of 16 and AWA of 100.

jubatus
04-12-2012, 01:26 PM
Hi, can you comment on the design with straight underwater chines, with the transoms apparently well submerged at rest? What was the idea behind this?

sleddog
04-13-2012, 08:24 AM
129
Hi, can you comment on the design with straight underwater chines, with the transoms apparently well submerged at rest? What was the idea behind this?

What began as a cruising cat design ended as a cruising cat design. As co-designer Howard Spruit is wont to remind: "speed, comfort, cost. You can only have two..."

The chines are not straight. The ends of the boat were submerged about 1" at launch, which is about 5" below the arbitrary blue waterline stripe. At launch we managed to sink the boat to or above the blue waterline stripe with 11 well wishers aboard. (Each vertical inch of immersed hulls floats approx.334 pounds.)

The 3/24 launch photo in an earlier post shows 7 people on deck, with reportedly 4 more below as we motored away from the dock on a short Harbor cruise. The above attached photo shows floatation, sans rig, with two people aboard.

To date we've enjoyed 7 shakedown sails off Santa Cruz in winds to 18 true. But the entrance is shoaled and passage is risky.

At speed, WILDFLOWER seems to float lighter, leaving only one stern wake, from the leeward hull, while sailing upwind at 6.5 to 7. Though we've tried, knock on wood nothing has broken.

WILDFLOWER is currently back home in the driveway as we prep and load for the next adventure, a road trip with the boat to the Pacific NW. Jim: where is HAULBACK berthed and what is your contact?

jubatus
04-14-2012, 02:12 AM
129

The chines are not straight. The ends of the boat were submerged about 1" at launch, which is about 5" below the arbitrary blue waterline stripe.
At speed, WILDFLOWER seems to float lighter, leaving only one stern wake, from the leeward hull, while sailing upwind at 6.5 to 7.

WILDFLOWER is currently back home in the driveway as we prep and load for the next adventure, a road trip with the boat to the Pacific NW. Jim: where is HAULBACK berthed and what is your contact?
Hi! Thanks for commenting. I was referring to this pic, looks pretty straight to me. 130
Not very much hull volume below that chine. But I guess this is sufficient in view of the extraordinary lightness of this boat. What a great accomplishment! And I am really impressed with the looks, which is certainly not easy to achieve in small cruising multis.

Have a nice trip up north!

sleddog
04-27-2012, 07:30 AM
4/27/12

WILDFLOWER is all packed up for a road trip. We depart May 1, up the I-5, to Anacortes, WA. There we will launch and spend the summer retracing the exploration routes of Valdes, Galiano and Vancouver. These two expeditions were in search of the NW passage in 1792, and Vancouver didn't know the Spanish were in the vicinity until they accidentally ran into each other in Desolation Sound.

Vancouver was highly depressed, which was why Desolation Sound got its name Not only was it rainy and misty, not only couldn't Vancouver find the NW passage for his King George III, but Valdes and Galiano had already explored and bestowed many of the prominent landmarks and islands with Spanish names. Bummer.

It was fun to have Ruben and Synbad visit Capitola yesterday. Ruben and Robbie now are proud owners of two Moore-24's. His and Hers, so to speak. Their trip to N.Carolina to retrieve Robbie's Moore is a worthy SSS tale of adventure and serendipity.. But I will let them tell it. Good Luck, Ruben, in the SHTP!

Have a good summer all, and write when you find work.

Jonathan Gutoff
04-28-2012, 09:29 AM
A good read is the journals of Archibald Menzies, the Vancouver expedition naturalist (and surgeon) He was a little happier and more into the voyage than Vancouver. Good Hawaii stuff in it also as I recall...

sleddog
05-05-2012, 11:17 PM
5/5/12
Greetings from Friday Harbor, WA

Tuesday we trailered WILDFLOWER north up the I-5, from Capitola to Anacortes, WA. 18 hours at 13 mpg, with no scratches to report. The tow was well behaved.

Wednesday, we rigged and launched, before rain set in that lasted into Thursday.

Today, Saturday, long time friend Gary Adams, Annie, and I sailed 20 miles from Anacortes to Friday Harbor to help celebrate M/V CATALYST's 80 B-day. It was a good sail and fun to visit with Capt. Bill and Shannon Bailey, the crew, and their magnificent ship before they leave for Alaska early next week. http://www.pacificcatalyst.com/

Tomorrow we leave for Port Townsend, 25 miles across Straits Juan de Fuca. Hi to all.

brianb
05-06-2012, 10:01 PM
Great photo's, keep up the photography.

Brian

sleddog
05-08-2012, 08:14 AM
5/8/12
We had a good crossing of the Straits of Juan de Fuca in motor sail conditions. About 30 minutes after leaving Friday Hbr, we passed through dozens, if not hundreds, of harbor seals, looking like pool toys bobbing on the surface.

Shortly thereafter, down towards Cattle Pass, it was "whale ho!" Steaming directly at us, northbound, was a pod of orcas, maybe 6-8 individuals. They passed close aboard, not a length away, determined looking, like a naval destroyer task force. We could see their eyes and teeth; the big male's dorsal fin higher than our cabin top, and bending off like a Wylie Cat rig in a good Bay breeze.

It was clear where these orcas were heading. Harbor seal for breakfast.

Good news on our 6 hp outboard. After 8 hours of motoring at cruising revs (6 knots), we've used less than three gallons of fuel. A quart/hour seems possible.

sleddog
05-09-2012, 08:17 PM
5/9/12
With gale warnings in the vicinity, we are snugly moored at Pt. Hudson Marina, in old town Port Townsend. Admiralty Inlet, visible out our back door, is more white than blue, recalling to mind the definition of "spume." While our local breeze huffs, whines, and sometimes shrieks, Pt Wilson light, two miles to windward, is reporting gusts to 39 knots. We are comfortable, with hot showers, wifi, and NW Maritime Center close at hand. Directly across is the classic schooner MARTHA, undergoing a total refit: new keel, spars, and rigging. MARTHA was built at Stone Boat Works in the SF Bay area 105 years ago, and was once a centerboarder Her length on deck is 68 feet, but the sparred length is 84 feet. http://www.schoonermartha.org/

We had a nice visit the other morning with local residents Dan and Linda Newland. Dan, some will recall, is the only three time winner of the SHTP, and Linda has raced solo to Japan. Linda is currently active raising support for restoration of the 23' FELICITY ANN, the first boat to be soloed by a woman, Ann Davison, across any ocean. (1953 across the Atlantic.)

Port Townsend, a sailing town if there ever was one, is a fun place to explore, with history oozing out of the sidewalks and local buildings. A good place to be until the winds let up.

cafemontaigne
05-10-2012, 11:54 PM
Shoot, I missed you by two days. Idefix was in Point Hudson Marina this weekend as part of the Sloop Tavern's Race to the Straits. 99 boats this year, all double- or singlehanded, racing from Seattle to Port Townsend on Saturday, and back Sunday. Needless to say, it was a blast.

Adrian

sleddog
05-11-2012, 10:28 AM
Today, Friday, is clear, warming, and snow capped peaks, including Mt. Baker to the east, Rainer to the south, and the Olympic Range are visible 360 degrees. We are moored at Pt. Hudson, in old town, a small marina with hot showers, strong wifi, and plenty to see and do at short distance. Despite the proximity of urban environment, we
have a family of otters on the dock next to WILDFLOWER. They come out whenever food is mentioned aboard. A bald eagle is on the breakwater close at hand to port. The seagulls are not happy with this interloper.

Last night was a halibut feed. The neighbors caught a 50 pound, 47" fish using an electric fishing reel. Say what? Annie cooked our halibut portion with brown rice, golden raisins, cranberries, p-nuts, and her selection of plentiful spices. Yum.

This evening we will race in the Friday night races with friends Alex and Elena aboard. Yesterday we hosted the editor of Small Craft Advisor, and he took some pics of us out sailing which may appear on their blog at some point. http://smallcraftadvisor.com/

We'll be in PT until Monday, at which point we depart towards Deer Harbor, on Orcas Island in the San Juans, about 40 miles north of here.. Deer Harbor is hosting a wood boat regatta, and has assigned us a rating of 180 sec/mile. But the winds will likely be light, and we are not so fast if TWS ,8 knots. No worries, as the regatta is more a fun race, than anything serious. What a concept: all wood boats!

Except for the fishermen coming and going, PT is quiet....Schooner MARTHA is being remasted near by by local rigger Brian Toss. I have several mysteries to solve. One mystery is how many local 16-18 foot fishing skiffs have two 200 hp outboards mounted on their sterns, and seem to float level. Our neighbor with the big halibut bragged last night he uses 17 gallons/hour. I smiled and said we were burning a quart/hour when the wind went light.

Another mystery is where our otter family lives. They seem to appear from nowhere, and I half expect one to surface in our bridgedeck aquarium, asking for a snack.

The last mystery is what the heck was that USN submarine doing out front yesterday, headed down inlet towards Roger's house at Port Hadlock? Port Townsend Bay is only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. Can you anchor a submarine?

No dull moments.

sleddog
05-13-2012, 08:29 PM
Sunday, 5/13/12
After a delightful week at Port Townsend, we will leave 0730 tomorrow with the tide for Watmough Bay, Lopez Island, 20 miles across the Straits of Juan de Fuca. High pressure weather should continue clear and mild, as the local temp here today was 74 in the cabin. Watmough Bay was one of Rob Moore's favorite places in the San Juans. After that, is it on towards Deer Harbor on Orcas Island, for next weekend's wood boat regatta.

Can't say we will be very competitive in usual San Juan zephyrs. We tried the local Friday night races here. And got flushed out the back of the fleet by 10 Thunderbirds, a J-27, a Yankee, several Catalinas, and Farr 30. The wind was only 4-6 knots, with the occasional 8 knot "gust." Not ideal conditions for racing one's house. In 8 knots of wind, according to Skene's, our 240 sq ft. of sail area generates 60 lbs of wind pressure. In 5 knots of wind, only 30 lb. is generated. So we would need to double our sail area to achieve the same performance level.
Dreamin'

sleddog
05-16-2012, 05:05 PM
5/16/12

WILDFLOWER's second crossing of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, this time northbound, was a re-play of our soundbound passage: clear, light winds, smooth seas. We ended up the only boat at the dock at delightful James Island, near Lopez Is. Nearby was a family of eagles. At one point we watched an eagle scoop up a good sized fish and fly to its nest with its unwilling participant. Later, we found a drifting dinghy with no ID. I towed it ashore at Spencer Spit, pulled it above the high-tide line, and notified the local ranger. She seemed more interested that the sunny weather had given her a sunburn. But promised to investigate.

Sad news aboard is Ann will shortly be returning to her family and grandkids, home, and job in New Orleans. Annie had never sailed before. Her support during the building, the launch, the shakedowns, and current cruise is outstanding. I cannot be more proud of her and will miss her laugh, her adventurous spirit, and all the good luck she has brought onboard. Good News is SSS has a home in New Orleans!

For any adventurous gals out there, WILDFLOWER now has a crew position open. A good chance to learn and experience the Pacific NW from the small boat perspective. June 1 WILDFLOWER departs Anacortes, WA for the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands. Princess Louisa Inlet is on the agenda. The warm waters of Desolation Sound in late July and August. Returning to Port Townsend first week of Sept. for the Wooden Boat Festival, aka Wood Boat Woodstock.

Specifics/questions can be had by contacting me skipallan@sbcglobal.net

AlanH
05-17-2012, 07:46 PM
5/9/12
With gale warnings in the vicinity, we are snugly moored at Pt. Hudson Marina, in old town Port Townsend. Admiralty Inlet, visible out our back door, is more white than blue, recalling to mind the definition of "spume." While our local breeze huffs, whines, and sometimes shrieks, Pt Wilson light, two miles to windward, is reporting gusts to 39 knots. We are comfortable, with hot showers, wifi, and NW Maritime Center close at hand. Directly across is the classic schooner MARTHA, undergoing a total refit: new keel, spars, and rigging. MARTHA was built at Stone Boat Works in the SF Bay area 105 years ago, and was once a centerboarder Her length on deck is 68 feet, but the sparred length is 84 feet. http://www.schoonermartha.org/

We had a nice visit the other morning with local residents Dan and Linda Newland. Dan, some will recall, is the only three time winner of the SHTP, and Linda has raced solo to Japan. Linda is currently active raising support for restoration of the 23' FELICITY ANN, the first boat to be soloed by a woman, Ann Davison, across any ocean. (1953 across the Atlantic.)

Port Townsend, a sailing town if there ever was one, is a fun place to explore, with history oozing out of the sidewalks and local buildings. A good place to be until the winds let up.

bold and underline added by me...I did not know this! It would be fantastic if the boat was restored!

It sounds like you are having a great old time of it......which is *exactly* the idea, yes?

sleddog
05-18-2012, 06:12 PM
5/18/12
We rafted this afternoon to JZERRO, Russell Brown's 36' proa. JZERRO is one of the most interesting boats I've seen in a lifetime of sailing. Russell has put a lot of thought into his little ship. http://www.wingo.com/proa/brown/jzerrophotos.html

JZERRO "tacks" by reversing direction, always keeping the ama to windward. There is a headstay and jib at either end of the boat, and a rudder/daggerboard also. The ama has a tank for 55 gallons of water ballast. She is one fast cookie. But very comfortable. Russell has cruised JZERRO to Mexico and the S. Pacific.

After our raft up with JZERRO, we returned to the Deer Harbor docks. Some crusty mariner was looking to pick a fight and insinuated WILDFLOWER was a piece of junk and should be "returned to the manufacturer." "How could any self respecting boat builder use such old, outdated equipment?", he asked.

I attempted to tell him the story of the boat and her donated and recycled gear. But he would have none of it. "Junk!" "It must have taken them years to build your boat." "Look, they used lashings on the headstay!" "New boat?" "You got screwed."

I chuckled at his ignorance, and went below. All in a day.

sleddog
05-22-2012, 10:24 AM
Saturday's Yellow Island Wood Boat Regatta was much fun. Before the skipper's meeting, we got to tour the local Deer Harbor Boat Yard, which is full of treasures from the past, including the miniature tugboat LI'L TOOT, that was won some years ago on the game show "Let's Make a Deal." Two friendly goats, Tom and Jerry, lord over the boat yard, and keep the blackberry vines to a manageable level.

The obvious pride of Cat and Mike, the yard's owners, is their 1934, Luders designed and built, 6 meter CHALLENGE. What a beauty. (see photos)

It was sunny and warm for the race. Winds were light, 2-5 knots. Despite our generous PHRF of 225, our little cat wasn't competitive, and we finished 9 of 9. CHALLENGE won. The Blanchard 26 STARFIRE was second. And the lovely and well sailed Manual Campos 34 VITO DUMAS was third

But we'll be back for the next edition after Labor Day, hopefully with a masthead 155% genoa.

Photos of the Yellow Island Regatta can be found at http://gallery.me.com/christhomerson#100474

sleddog
05-25-2012, 07:16 AM
Anacortes, WA, with its maritime tradition and proximity to the San Juan Islands, is a second homeport for WILDFLOWER. Close at hand to Cap Sante Marina is Safeway, West Marine, Farmer's Market, and businesses that support the local fleet of sailors, fishermen, and the many visitors that use this small town as a stepping off point for sailing the Salish Sea and beyond.

I first visited Anacortes in 1986 with the old WILDFLOWER, enroute to Vancouver's Expo86 World's Fair. Back then, you could walk down the center of Commercial Avenue, and only encounter an occasional car. Today, things are decidedly more upscale, with property values to match. WILDFLOWER is moored in the midst of the cruising boat of choice for these waters: "trawlers" in the 45-65' range, listed for $500K to $2mil. Nordic "Tugs", Grand Banks, Nordhavens, Diesel Ducks. You name them, they are here. With many for sale. Sailboats are far fewer.

Antithesis to West Marine lies just up the street in an old brick building. Anacortes Marine Hardware and Supply is the oldest marine hardware store on the West Coast, in continuous operation since 1913. Part museum, most anything marine can be found if you look hard enough. Need a brass diving helmet? No problem! Also to be discovered are two fluffy and friendly inhouse cats that sleep in their fleece beds next to the register and wood burning stove, but are ready at moments notice to guide you through the back rooms of obscure boat parts. In exchange for a scratch, of course. http://bitterendblog.com/?p=1715

Had dinner last night with Hank Thor, a local sailor and supporter of SSS. Hank has a fascinating history, and raced his first Transpac in 1953. Besides sailing his Espirit 37 FREJYA, he builds airplanes, skis, is an architect and is a wealth
of information. Of interest to me is the fact that in the early 50's, Hank drew the plans for the 19' Malibu Outrigger, the first beach cat multihull on the West Coast. In 1949, Warren Seaman and other locals were using this outrigger to surf waves off Santa Monica. It was only when a unique sailing rig was later added, that the Malibu Outrigger came into its own as an inexpensive way to go fast. Hank reported over 10,000 plans were sold, many to Europe. http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/designs/malibu/outrigger.htm

sleddog
06-03-2012, 02:06 PM
1421431441456/3/12

Stuart Island, in the San Juans, marks the most NW corner of the continental U.S. To be more exact, Turn Pt. Lighthouse on the NW corner of Stuart is as far as you can go. Canada is visible three miles away, and Canadian waters begin just offshore. Big ships round Turn Pt. light close aboard, as do orcas and porps. Eagles soar overhead.

It is a nice two mile hike from Prevost Harbor to Turn Pt, through a quiet fir forest, disturbed only by a jackhammer woodpecker. Just past the community school (enrollment:2) is the airfield. "Field" is the correct term, as regular mowing needs to be done to take off. Past the cows, the airfield is so narrow and short that it must take a significant amount of courage to want to land here (see photo.)

Turn Pt Lighthouse is being restored by the BLM, and will feature an interpretative center for the few who make the hike to this historic location. In a glade by the light is the U.S. most northwestern public restroom, a beautiful cedar outhouse. This is no Ranger Rick porta-potty. You open the door and see somebody cares. Inside is a bath rug, sink with mirror and towels, hatrack, art, lace curtains. The whole enchilada. Well done, BLM.

As WILDFLOWER left Stuart Island for Canadian waters, we passed an old friend: the Mull 42 IMPROBABLE. Back in the day (1971) she was revolutionary red hulled flyer, with linked titanium winches, lenticular rod rigging that could be tacked, and a 7' Kauri tiller that took three to pull on a spinnaker reach. We cut our teeth on Dave Allen's IMPROBABLE. Commodore, Ron Holland, Dave Wahle, Kim Desenberg, Billy Barton, Tom Wylie, and a whole host of SF Bay area sailors. IMPROBABLE is now owned by Len Schwab, Bruce's dad. And 40 years later is still capable of turning heads.

sleddog
06-03-2012, 04:12 PM
146147148After a quick crossing of Haro Straits, WILDFLOWER arrived in her first foreign port: Tsehum Harbor, Sidney, BC, Canada. The bay was full of occupied moorings, with no room to anchor. We took a slip at the only game in town: the upscale Van Isle Marina. "Fleur' looked decidely incongruous amongst the fleet of big power boats, 50-120 feet. My neighbor, a 100 footer, has two power cords, each the size of my wrist.

There's a whole subculture here servicing this fleet: mechanics, cooks, electricians, and especially boat detailers. The economic downturn doesn't appear to have hit this sector.

Yesterday we took WILDFLOWER on a harbor cruise to Canoe Cove, next harbor north from Tsehum. Few big power yachts there, and plenty of history. GLADIMARUS was there, along with the beautiful KATIE FORD. Oily George and his bucket of linseed oil was there with SURF SCOTER. But what really caught my eye was the black 70' CARLOTTA (1899). Her 20' oak sprit was retracted. No engine. No winches. Her oars were ready. And the 8' tiller. CARLOTTA must displace 50 tons or more. You obviously don't sail CARLOTTA with kids.

AlanH
06-06-2012, 10:53 AM
I'm thoroughly amused by the guy who thinks that you got screwed by the sale of your boat.

I think you should go buy an oversized shore power cable, just to fit in...:D

AlanH
06-06-2012, 10:55 AM
1421431441456/3/12

Stuart Island, in the San Juans, marks the most NW corner of the continental U.S. To be more exact, Turn Pt. Lighthouse on the NW corner of Stuart is as far as you can go. Canada is visible three miles away, and Canadian waters begin just offshore. Big ships round Turn Pt. light close aboard, as do orcas and porps. Eagles soar overhead.

It is a nice two mile hike from Prevost Harbor to Turn Pt, through a quiet fir forest, disturbed only by a jackhammer woodpecker. Just past the community school (enrollment:2) is the airfield. "Field" is the correct term, as regular mowing needs to be done to take off. Past the cows, the airfield is so narrow and short that it must take a significant amount of courage to want to land here (see photo.)

Turn Pt Lighthouse is being restored by the BLM, and will feature an interpretative center for the few who make the hike to this historic location. In a glade by the light is the U.S. most northwestern public restroom, a beautiful cedar outhouse. This is no Ranger Rick porta-potty. You open the door and see somebody cares. Inside is a bath rug, sink with mirror and towels, hatrack, art, lace curtains. The whole enchilada. Well done, BLM.

As WILDFLOWER left Stuart Island for Canadian waters, we passed an old friend: the Mull 42 IMPROBABLE. Back in the day (1971) she was revolutionary red hulled flyer, with linked titanium winches, lenticular rod rigging that could be tacked, and a 7' Kauri tiller that took three to pull on a spinnaker reach. We cut our teeth on Dave Allen's IMPROBABLE. Commodore, Ron Holland, Dave Wahle, Kim Desenberg, Billy Barton, Tom Wylie, and a whole host of SF Bay area sailors. IMPROBABLE is now owned by Len Schwab, Bruce's dad. And 40 years later is still capable of turning heads.

IMPROBABLE.... wow. I remember that boat, it was just as I was starting to get into sailing, and this gigantic War Boat sailed by the islander Bahama I was crewing on. I remember gawking like a startstruck teenager.

sleddog
06-07-2012, 08:48 AM
6/7/12

WILDFLOWER has temporarily left the land of "Loonies" and "Twonies," which are Canada's $1 and $2 dollar coins. You need a handful of these for a hot shower or laundry at the marina. Canada was more expensive than expected, about 30% more than U.S. due to value of dollar and 12% tax on everything.

Rain chased us back across Haro Straits. With a fair (ebb) tide of 3 knots and a port tack reach, we hauled the mail to Roche Harbor, where armed customs officers welcomed us back to the U.S. with a bunch of intrusive questions. What, are they not going to let me back in the country if I don't have a cell phone? That seemed to be a concern.

The Hotel Haro at Roche Harbor has an old tradition of the lowering of colors at sunset, which comes about 9:30 p.m. at this latitude (48-38 N). Part tradition, part Disneyland, the flags were struck to the report of cannon fire and the theme from Bridge Over the River Kwai. I whistled along.

Our sail to Friday Harbor was in a puffy SW wind and smooth water. I tucked in a reef just before a healthy gust came off the hills, and we scooted along at 11 knots for a short time. The tide was again fair. Until just before Friday Harbor when we hit the incoming flood at Pt. Caution.. In the space of one boat length the tide went from 2 knots ebb to 5.5 knots flood. We were stopped dead in our tracks, and it took the OB at full throttle to make crawling headway along shore.

I anchored in the low rent section just north of Friday Harbor marina. There is quite an assortment of liveaboard contraptions here. The local beach front property owners are not happy with their view of the "fleet." Soon after anchoring, I took the binos, aimed them at the sun, and focused the beam on the hatch board. Sure enough, there was the black dot of Venus transiting the face of the sun.

Wed. morning was a -3.0' low tide. Just before WF took the ground, I pulled anchor from three feet of water and motored over to the Marina dock. $20 for the night seemed good value for a secure berth with an incoming late season front and strong SE winds forecast.

sleddog
06-10-2012, 07:08 AM
6/10/12

Friday Harbor is the hub of the American San Juan Islands. It is about the same size as Belvedere/Tiburon coves. In this area, ferries, float planes, and super yachts come and go with frequency. The waterfront scene is ever changing during the summer season. http://www.islandcam.com/fridayhrbr.html

Nearby is the schooner SPIKE AFRICA. She was designed and built in 1972 by Bob Sloan as a working schooner, and used to carry race boat gear to and from Mexico and Hawaii races, as well as appearing in many films and TV shows.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.386184762099.171835.342940562099&type=1&comment_id=12734344

After Bob Sloan died, SPIKE AFRICA, languished in the tropical sun of Kauai and fell on hard times. But new owners here in Friday Harbor have totally restored her from keel to truck. Geeez she looks good and stirs the sailor's soul.

The author and conservationist Ernie Gann lived near Friday Harbor. His aviation and sea stories are epics and a great read. I recommend his autobiography SONG Of the SIRENS, particularly to anyone with schooner in their blood.

sleddog
06-12-2012, 09:48 AM
6/12/12

Longtime friend and respected artist and boat captain Robert Flowerman is in Friday Harbor for his grand daughter's high school graduation. We got together for a sail on WILDFLOWER and cruised the Friday Harbor waterfront. Blue skies and a civil breeze of 6-10 knots prevailed. That's Robert steering in the attached photo. At the head of the harbor was the purposeful tug TIGER HORSE, complete with a full race Cal 20 on its upper deck. Who needs a trailer when you have a tug with hoist to get you to the regatta?

Yesterday I hiked across San Juan Island to Lime Kiln Point lighthouse. Tourists arrive at this prime orca viewing spot to see the orca show. Kinda like a Disneyland ride, everyone had high hopes for a noon viewing. When a little harbor porpoise poked its fin up briefly, the cry went up "ORCA!!!" Cameras flashed and the crowd went on to their next adventure. Who was I to burst their bubble? The local orca researcher in the old light house confided his "spotters" had the 85 members of resident pods K & L 40 miles away off Vancouver Island.

I hiked uphill and visited friends Mary and Jim Guard, who live on the top of Mt. Dallas, highest mountain on San Juan Island. Jim used to sail with Bob Derecktor, and we first met in 1971, when I was on IMPROBABLE for the SORC in Florida.

With an almost 360 degree view from Jim and Mary's home at 1036', we could see Mt.Rainer, 120 miles to the south, Mt. Baker, 80 miles to the east, the entire snow covered Cascade Range, and the Olympic Range across the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Mts. Baker and Rainer resembled giant vanilla ice cream cones poking into the blue sky.

In the small world department, my sister and her husband are off to Europe. Their first stop will be Prague to visit our good friend Capt. Ivo Hruza of the Czech Republic. Ivo was captain of the MSC TORONTO, the giant container ship that plucked me safely off the original WILDFLOWER, returning from the 2008 SHTP. We have remained good friends since and get together when his shipping schedule permits.

sleddog
06-16-2012, 06:39 AM
You don't have to go far for action on the Friday Harbor docks. It comes to you. While doing laundry in a bucket, I watched a large (2'), orange, 20 point starfish sprint along the nearby sea bottom, going somewhere at about a foot/minute.

Nearby, a family with a load of suitcases in a large dock cart, lost control on the steep low tide gangway, and suitcases spilled all over. Luckily, no one was run over or injured. A sexy 30' powerboat came in to tie up with the wife/girlfriend at the controls in an attempt to back in the slip. The husband/boyfriend jumped to the dock just before the driver somehow shifted into forward at half throttle, nearly launching him into the water before he let go. She then hit reverse, and the boat accelerated into the slip at a high rate. Luckily, the rubber inflatable dinghy was hanging from the stern, and with a loud "sprong" sound acted as the perfect bumper as the sex boat rammed into the dock. As Chick Hearn would say, "no harm, no foul."

It's a veritable dog show here. No exaggeration to say 50% of the visiting boats come with at least one dog aboard. And they all walk by WILDFLOWER's slip, owners in tow. Film at 11.

sleddog
06-19-2012, 09:16 AM
6/18/12

Went hiking today with local writer/author Janet Thomas on the trails of American Camp at the S. End of San Juan Is. It was windy near the cliffs overlooking the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Just offshore, the water was flecked with white horses coming in from the west on a 20 knot breeze., Grand vistas in all directions with virtually no one around. The shingle beaches have a mass quantity of criss crossed sun bleached logs, blown ashore in winter storms. Inland on the gentle hills are re-established prairie grasses. The whole area is under jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

Unfortunately, there is a man made environmental tragedy whose aura pervades American Camp. The previous well meaning NPS superintendent, ignoring local outcry and political mandates, exterminated the local rabbit population using carbon monoxide pumped into their warrens. These European rabbits, non-native, were previously kept under control by "9 species of raptors" (from the NPS color brochure) including bald and golden eagles, and local foxes.

According to Janet, the rabbit gassing occurred in 2010. Now, American Camp is mostly devoid of wildlife. The food source is gone. Today, a perfect raptor day, we saw none. The eagles' nests are abandoned. A couple of grazing deer sighted. Equally sad were the emaciated foxes, begging food from passing cars. This area of island is a prime example of good intentions, with unintended consequences. Most sad.

On a happier note, the large Washington State ferries arrive here at Friday Harbor hourly. As they approach the landing, about half mile out, passing Brown Island and making about 10 knots, the ferry captains sound one long, two short blasts on their booming horn. Extra credit for anyone who can tell what this horn signal means.

sleddog
06-20-2012, 07:07 AM
Happy Solstice, All. The sun rose this morning at Friday Harbor at 5:18. There was a McGregor 26 next door last evening. It had a fully enclosed cockpit structure, with a rubber dinghy on top of that. I honestly thought it was going to capsize in the slip. In harbor, the owner prefered to motor in reverse, as viz forward was compromised.

Out on the main dock is the 152' motor yacht AFTER EIGHT, built in Anacortes and registered on the Isle of Man. She carries a crew of 12 and her tanks hold 15,000 gallons of fuel for her 2,300 horsepower engines. Her brochure describes an "economical" cruising range of 4,000 miles at 20 knots. I don't see how you can afford to run something like this unless you own at least a couple of oil wells, a small refinery, or both. To fill AFTER EIGHT's fuel tankage is gonna cost upwards of $75,000, in this country anyway. Despite all the fuel, it was interesting to observe that upon coming alongside the dock, the first line ashore was the aft spring. The second was the shore power cord, the size of a hawser. Friday Harbor's lights dimmed when AFTER EIGHT plugged in. http://www.superyachts.com/luxury-yacht-for-sale/after-eight-1664/

On a more sensible note, I hiked over to Shipyard Cove yesterday to get a close up view of the tug TIGER HORSE and her on deck consort, the beautiful little Cal 20 SITKA ROSE.

Jan Brewer
06-21-2012, 03:23 PM
Hi Skip,

Answer to your question is 35.c.

Happy to read about your adventures and keep them comin' okay?

Jan

sleddog
06-21-2012, 05:50 PM
Hi Jan,

Good to hear from you! Sorry, on the extra credit quiz, you don't win anything yet.

For those unfamiliar, Jan is referring to Col Regs section 35.(c) which says a vessel shall sound one long, two short horn blasts in or near an area of restricted visibility, when this vessel is

"not under command, a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver whether underway or at anchor, a vessel constrained by her draft, a sailing vessel, a vessel engaged in fishing whether underway or at anchor and a vessel engaged in towing or pushing another vessel shall sound at intervals of not more than 2 minutes three blasts in succession, namely one prolonged followed by two short blasts."

The whistle blowing Anacortes/Friday Harbor ferry, to which I refer, is likely feeling restricted in her ability to maneuver as she approaches the landing from .5 mile out. BUT, and here is the conundrum, Rule 35 (c) applies only in restricted visibility (the "fog" rule.) These ferries are blowing their whistles in clear visibility. Col Regs Rule 3 defines "restricted visibility" as meaning "any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rainstorms, sandstorms or any other similar causes."

The question might be, does 35 (c) the "fog rule" also apply if you have to make a shallow turn around a point of an island, and can't see what might be coming on the other side? I don't know, and Col Regs don't seem to give guidance in this department.

For those of you who don't know, Jan captains an amphibious duck that carries tourists along the SF waterfront. She is the only person I know who, when under way, must follow both DMV (land) and Col Regs (sea) rules without her leaving the driver's seat.

Philpott
06-21-2012, 09:30 PM
That Jan is such a showoff. Mr Sleddog, I am sure enjoying your missives. Are there any more quizzes? I like winning prizes.

Dazzler
06-21-2012, 11:24 PM
Skip,
I too have been enjoying your posts. They bring back fond memories of enjoyable times in those same places. As for the Washington Ferries non-regulation use of whistles (a warp and two woofs), there's is a good explanation, but it's best explained at:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7191

Tom Patterson
Dazzler (Wyliecat 30)

sleddog
06-22-2012, 06:38 AM
Wow! Thanks, DAZZLER. Who would have thunk that the "warp and two woofs" that today vibrate the Friday Harbor waterfront windows is distinctive ferry boat music dating back over a century. If you haven't visited Tom's link, cited above, it answers the extra credit question in a way I had no idea existed.

If Jan can tell us that she too has blown a warp and two woofs on her Duck horn, then you both win a spinnaker reach on WILDFLOWER from Pt. Blunt to Richmond, followed by a beer at the Boiler House.

sleddog
06-22-2012, 08:30 PM
6/22/12

Three lovely sail training ships arrived in Friday Harbor this afternoon. ZODIAC, a 160' topsail schooner, was the last working pilot schooner in the U.S. and under the name CALIFORNIA, for 40 years ran San Francisco Bar pilots out to the Lightbucket in fair weather and foul. http://www.schoonerzodiac.com/history.htm

ADVENTURESS, at 133' overall, was also a SF Bar Pilot schooner, beginning in 1915, and worked the Gulf of the Farallones for 35 years, only missing one day of work and that was when her foremast went over the side. This evening I paced off the length of ADVENTURESS's main boom: 57'! In 1989 ADVENTURESS was named a National Historic Landmark. http://www.soundexp.org/index.php?page=home

ODYSSEY is an 89' Sparkman and Stephens steel yawl, 1938, looking for all the world like DORADE on steroids. "Massive" is the descriptive word that comes to mind. http://www.sssodyssey.org/shiphistory.html

These three vessels are on two week cruises through the San Juan and Gulf Islands. They are crewed by kids 14-17. I met many of their crew. Not an I-phone or video game to be seen. The kids were respectful, aware of their boat's histories, invited me aboard for a tour, and not at all put off that they'd be drawing straws to see who'd be sleeping on deck in their sleeping bags, wrapped in plastic, in the rain. (More crew than bunks below.)

I gotta say that if the Larry Ellisons of the world decided to spend a small fraction of an AC catamaran budget on supporting youth sail training programs such as ZODIAC, ADVENTURESS, and ODYSSEY, the world would be a better place. I believe there is no better hands on education for teens than working aboard one of these wind ships. They teach living in harmony in tight quarters, the practical value of hard work, and an environmental awareness that will last a lifetime.

sleddog
06-25-2012, 09:17 AM
The idea of carrying a boat hook at the ready is you never know when you may need it. Yesterday, the aluminum barge "PUMPTY DUMPTY" floated by WILDFLOWER, no one aboard. Her skipper was nearby on the dock, but seemed to have lost contact with his vessel. PUMPTY DUMPTY is no ordinary barge. It roves the harbor and empties the holding tanks of the local yachts by means of a big pump, hoses, and a large tank.

I grabbed our boat hook and extended its three part section out a full 12', long enough to snag the wayward PUMPTY DUMPTY before its odoriferous cargo should come to mischief.

I wouldn't normally mention such a benign rescue. But the Coast Guard lads were walking down the dock nearby, about to board their 80 footer and proceed on the day's mission in Haro Straits. That mission includes vessel safety checks, including holding tank compliance. It's bizarre to consider, but as no lives were in danger, would the Coasties have lassoed the PUMPTY DUMPTY had they noticed? Or would Vessel Assist been called?

Even more strange, while the CG is enforcing holding tanks in U.S. waters, across the U.S./Canada border, not 10 miles away, the British Columbia capitol city of Victoria, and its environs, totaling 330,000 citizens, continues pumping its raw, untreated sewage into local waters and has been doing so for many years. The (g)astronomical output from the "City of Gardens" totals 35 million gallons of sewage daily, into what essentially is a lake with one outlet: the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

The orcas and other sea creatures don't get a vote on this. Bad dog, Victoria.

BobJ
06-25-2012, 02:15 PM
There's hope - in 2010 Victoria approved plans to build treatment plants, which are supposed to be online by 2016. It has been an embarrasment to this otherwise picturesque city for years.

A personal life observation: I started sailing in the Alameda Estuary in 1968. The water around the docks had an oily sheen and smelled bad. The pilings were clean - no marine growth or bait fish to be seen. It wasn't hard to find a few dead fish floating near shore. The Estuary appeared to be a dead waterway. If you looked across at the Oakland hills on a typical Summer day you could barely see them for the smog. I wasn't environmentally-conscious in those days (few were) but I remember this well. As I sail in the Estuary today it is dramatically better. It's alive again, and you can see the Oakland Hills.

No big political statement here; just glad for those who've taken on the polluters and prevailed. It is very much worth it.

sleddog
06-25-2012, 08:03 PM
With the clock ticking to the start, I join family, friends, and supporters of SSS in wishing all competitors in Singlehanded Transpac 2012 a safe, fast, and fun voyage! It is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of your lives. Look out for each other, for your boat, and for yourselves. Bless you one and all. ~skip

sleddog
06-28-2012, 09:34 AM
Part of the pleasure of walking the docks is seeing the various means people have of getting afloat. Last night, a unique and historical sailing vessel tied up nearby. She is the 47' steel ketch COLIN ARCHER, the last design of the Norwegian designer Colin Archer. Archer's most famous design was Nansen's FRAM, the first boat through the NW Passage and for many years a fixture of Golden Gate Park out near the windmills.

Compared to our cat's 800 pound displacement, COLIN ARCHER's is a mind boggling 70,000 pounds "light." Her 12' timber bowsprit compares to modern sport boats carbon toothpicks. It takes 15-25 knots of wind before COLIN ARCHER leans to the breeze and picks up her skirts under sail. COLIN ARCHER's North Sea lifeboat pedigree is plain to see. http://rscolinarcher.com/

It was good to run into Sue and Jim Corenman on the docks here also. Their beautiful 50' Schumacher HEART OF GOLD is currently on the hard in Anacortes, getting a fresh bottom job. Sue and Jim have a new kitten, "Fred." in training as a boat cat.

LOrion
06-30-2012, 08:41 AM
Oh thanks for that, Kept, note, pics and refined the great information sheet so it's a bit more readable.
Posted it here on flickr http://tinyurl.com/6okrmsv

sleddog
06-30-2012, 09:52 AM
6/30/12

Successful weather routing for the SHTP is not a trivial exercise, and has occupied WILDFLOWER's nav station and coms department over the last month. (We are shakedown cruising in the Pac NW, and not racing this year.)

Most SHTP entries do not have "polars," and these have to be developed by experience. In addition, a router has to know the boat's sail complement, whether symmetrical, asymetrical spinnakers, or twin jibs are aboard, whether the competitor and his self steering are comfortable flying a spinnaker at night. Or even flying a spinnaker at all.

Beginning a routing project, I look at the calendar for stages of the moon. In the 2012 SHTP, competitors will be favored by a full moon near mid-race, making night time sailing more user friendly.

Also considered is the state of El Nino/La Nina, as the temp of Pacific waters can influence both trade wind strength and squall development. Currrently, at the end of June, we are at the end of a La Nina episode, and in an El Nino neutral position. El Nino neutral means storms track further N, and the Pacific High becomes the predominant weather feature in July/August.

Once polars are developed, the sail inventory analyzed, the skipper's experience level, night vision, and self steering systems considered, the massaged polars are fed into an Expedition routing program. Days leading to the start, a "Pt A," "Pt.B," and "Pt.C" are defined and refined. "Pt. A" the most important, is located at the desired latitude to cross longitude 130 W. Pt. B is at 135 W, Pt. C at 140 W.

As race day approaches, long range weather forecasts become more reliable for the race period. Computer wind forecasts can now look ahead with confidence out 3-5 days, and even a week's prognosis can be used in routing.

What does this all mean? In a perfect world, the competitor understands the general weather forecast for the Eastern Pacific, the forecast trends, and the weather history and winning routes of previous races. A "Game Plan" is developed. In addition, the router has supplied the SHTP competitor with suggested way points as aiming marks, and a "sidewalk" of fast sailing possibilities bounded by "fences" on the north and south side of the "sidewalk." This info is intended to give confidence to the SHTP competitor, as opposed to planning uncertainty. Single handers are traditionally time crunched before the SHTP start, and few have the time or tools to give to detailed weather routing.

Below is a routing chart for a SHTP 2012 competitor, based on his polars, and wind forecasts that were downloaded last evening (Friday night). Added are a black line above and below the optimized route (red). The black lines indicate the boundaries of a "sidewalk". The routing calculations suggest sailing anywhere within this sidewalk without having to pay much of a penalty in terms of extra passage time.

As evidenced, the sidewalk is wider in the latter half of the passage reflecting the fact that you can jibe back and forth in a fairly wide area in this region without having much effect on the finish time.


Onward.

sleddog
07-02-2012, 10:03 AM
Surprise of the SHTP so far is performance of SCARAMOUCHE. By her owner's admission, "non-competitive." Don't believe it. This was one of S&S's best designs of the early 1970's, a development of RAGAMUFFIN. If the winds stay modest and few can break out of displacement mode, "MOOCH" may surprise. It will be no surprise if "TRUTH" breaks the mono record. She is fully capable, and in capable hands.

Exercised WILDFLOWER yesterday in SW 12-18 knots, a beautiful sunny day with a big flood tide. So many islands passed close aboard in 3 hours, I had to keep the chart handy and checked off. Islands rounded or coasted included: Brown, Shaw, San Juan, Tift Rocks, Yellow, McConnell, Reef, Orcas, Coon, Crane, and Cliff.

Finally, a seamanlike landing. Not easy for this tree leaf (flower petal?) in a cross wind. Got back into the slip without incident. Only to find I'd gone in the wrong slip ....ours was two boats over. ;-) Below is pix of boat in correct slip, with happy captain.....

H Spruit
07-02-2012, 06:55 PM
The Wild flower looks good, and I see you have properly loaded it forward and are using most of the bottom paint!
We sailed in similar conditions Sunday, close reaching, full main, jib furled, with the weather hull very light and bouncing up!

sleddog
07-03-2012, 06:52 PM
After 24 hours of steady rain, at noon today the skies abruptly cleared. I removed my cup taped to the overhead, where it was catching drips above the pillow from a leaking deck fitting, and exited the hatch for a walk.

Out on Friday's Harbor's main breakwater float, the circus was coming to town. Dozens of boats were descending at once on the Marina in anticipation of tomorrow's 4th of July celebrations: Parade, Pig War Picnic, Rock-the-Dock Music, and Fireworks.

It was blowing 20-25 offshore (SW). Many of the approaching fleet were from Canada, and had to tie up on the outside of the main dock to clear Customs. Not easy, broadside to the stiff breeze. The contingent of a dozen or so MacGregor 26's from Canada seemed to manage better than most, although they were all a bit bedraggled from a wet and windy crossing (under power). Curiously, the beam wind was heeling many of the Mac 26's almost rail down. Under bare poles!

Midsize powerboats of all description were also attempting to land. The burly and armed Customs officer had no interest in anything but checking passports. Who was gonna take a line from all these boats and secure it on the docks? No marina employees in evidence.

With incipient chaos looming, there was need for strong line handlers on the dock. Several times over the ensuing hour I found myself handling lines from two boats at once.

One 100' power yacht, with upper deck stadium seats, decided it was his turn to jump the queue. He came in bow first into the midst of the Mac-26's. I don't know his plan, as he was short 90 feet of dock. His bow crew managed to leap off with a mooring line. But his ship blew back out into the stream, leaving him ashore, attached to nothing. The MacgGregor crews were thoroughly amused.

The burly Customs officer went from boat to boat, getting his salad fixings together. As well as checking passports, he was confiscating plastic bags of tomatoes and peppers.

The 100' powerboat tried another approach, this time stern first, with dual exhausts now belching smoke on the previously amused Mac 26ers. The 160' schooner ZODIAC was also getting into the act, but thought better and went to anchor out.

After helping secure about 30 boats, things quieted. I made my way back to WILDFLOWER, not quite sure what I had been a part of. Wednesday in Friday Harbor.

sleddog
07-05-2012, 08:49 AM
160 161

It is appears the main body of the Singlehanded Transpac Fleet will be sailing into lighter winds ....they likely got themselves into a too far north "slot car" lane, without means of getting south where more wind will blow for remainder of race. The Hobie 33 is truckin' down south, and should get even faster when the tradewinds fill.
Solar panels and autopilots taking a beating so far: little or no sun, and electrical problems.

4th of July in Friday Hbr. was warm and sunny. The hometown parade featured dogs costumed as orcas, a Sea Shepard Pirate Ship, old tractors. Even the U of Washington Marching Band led by a 300# black dude high steppin' and adroitly twirling the baton.

After all the excitement, a walk on the beach down by Jakel's Lagoon was in order. The tide was way out and no
one around but bald eagles scavenging the waterline. We found a 40 foot driftwood log, and built a teeter totter.

The evening's fireworks, launched from a barge just offshore the docks, were memorable. The full moon rising in the background, and the reverberations of colorful explosive reports echoing around the island's hills and valley's, had the fleet clapping in applause.

AlanH
07-05-2012, 02:57 PM
I'm enjoying this.

sleddog
07-05-2012, 04:04 PM
Despite apologies by the Marina staff, Wi-Fi doesn't reach out to WILDFLOWER's slip. The best laptop reception for SHTP updates is stall #2 in the Men's floating restroom, halfway up the dock. I'm sure some have wondered why the cheering and groaning behind the toilet door.

Sat phones, Trackers, Bi-hourly updates. What next, a SHTP skipper's smell app, and live masthead video. I kinda like it. But, being an old fart, I remember with some nostalgia the first SHTP in '78. We didn't have radios, we didn't have electronics, and the CG didn't want to know of our existence.

The race started, and the fleet didn't know how they stood until they came around the corner at Hanalei and counted masts. Several racers didn't come around the corner ...without good celestial skills, they missed Kauai and continued sailing west.

The Race Committee absconded with the entry fee, never to be seen. And the promised finish welcoming committee, Club Med, said they'd never heard of a "sailboat race?" and to get off their property.

We didn't need no stinkin' committees, nor no fancy dancy Club Med beads. We had a case of beer, shade under the iron wood trees at the Hanalei Beach Park, and each other to interview. The most recent hand printed results were tacked to the Tree each afternoon at 5.

Some publisher from a new sailing magazine was hanging round. (I think it was called Latitude 38 or something.) But the sea stories were too wonderful, plentiful, and fantastic for belief. By the time #15 finisher got there with a lawnmower strapped to his mast, the magazine guy was passed out in an inflatable dinghy, stuck on the Hanalei River sand bar.

The iron wood trees remain. Tree Time was born of necessity, not invention. And if you don't get there to share part of this furry, fuzzy, feel good, bring what you got, home grown experience. Well, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Jan Brewer
07-05-2012, 05:19 PM
I agree with Alan. These postings are just great reading. I'm internet challenged at home so I only view these occasionally when the stars are aligned right and the landlord has turned off all his electronics.

Keep the great reads comin', please, Skip. I am so glad I know you.

Oh, BTW, I had a real treat on Saturday for the start of the SHTP. I was aboard Cinnabar, Sylvia and company's lovely Schumacher 52. What a beauty she is and what a great day to sail out the Gate and chase down Red Sky.

sleddog
07-05-2012, 06:11 PM
On this warm sunny afternoon in Friday Harbor I wandered out to the end dock to see the sexy F-31 trimaran MOXIE come in. It had a Ballenger spar, and expensive looking sails. I was talking with the owner and his wife when nearby, a single hander came in on his Cal-34.

The single hander stepped off his boat with his stern line, tripping over his single lever gear shift/throttle in the process. This misstep put the boat in full speed ahead, with no one aboard, aimed at some very expensive looking marine equipment.

The single hander tried to secure the stern line to the dock rail before the bitter end ran through his hands. He failed, and was quickly losing ground holding his boat that was trying to pull him off the dock.

The three of us from MOXIE ran to his aid. It became a tug-of-war. The good news is four determined people on the dock can doggedly pull a Cal-34 backwards, while its engine is running full speed ahead.

AlanH
07-06-2012, 11:39 AM
At some point in the distant past, when I was less adroit than i am now....riiiight.....

I brought my Santana 3030 into the dock at San Francisco Boatworks, in front of a full summertime lunch crowd at The Ramp. I had done this before...why, just weeks ago I'd done it, flawlessly, to the thinly-veiled admiration of the crowd. One gentleman actually walked down the dock to congratulate me on my superb solo docking effort.

This time we eased in slowly. The forward dock line was lying on deck, neatly contained by the stanchions and aluminum toerail. The skipper is no fool, it is 6 inches shorter than the distance from the forward to cleat to the prop shaft. The skipper aims carefully, applies a touch of reverse and then puts the engine in neutral. As the boat approaches the dock, he takes the stern line in one hand and finally releases the tiller. A lionesque leap sideways over the lifelines is timed to land him on the dock, where he will tie off the stern line and.............

--> except that the skippers trailing foot catches the lifeline, and Our Hero winds up hanging from his own lifeline, probably spinning like a too-loose piece of chicken on an overdone kebob, while the boat goes *bump* ever so gently on the dock and then drifts off to pay a visit to much larger, shinier and expensive sisters nearby.

Honest. I wound up hanging from my lifelines like a third grader on a horizontal bar on the playground. It's a good thing that my pride is steel-plated.

Mitch
07-06-2012, 02:53 PM
Sled - excellent reading - quite the visual thinking of near capsized Mac 26s and some monster cruiser coming in to crush them.

I've got a question on PacCup tactics. Seems the racers had quite the headsail reach getting out there, with ample opportunity to sag down a bit. Was the pre-race forecast calling for rhumbline? Seems the boats that sagged, whether they wanted to or not (Cal40) are making out yet again.

Wouldn't the "safe" call be to error on being a bit south?

ajgoldman
07-07-2012, 07:14 AM
Hey Skip,

Always great to read your thoughts. There is no debate, if you write a book, we will all buy it!

In regards to your thoughts about the abundance of "communication" we have now with the SHTP, I agree, it does seem more every year. But you know what hasn't changed, feeling alone out there, or staying awake for hours or days on end, or feeling like the rest of the fleet is sailing by while you alone have sailed into the worst wind hole on the planet! As you know more than me, what will always remain constant, for all of us, is our wonderful ocean.

Thanks mate,

AJ

sleddog
07-07-2012, 09:46 AM
Sled -
I've got a question on PacCup tactics. Seems the racers had quite the headsail reach getting out there, with ample opportunity to sag down a bit. Was the pre-race forecast calling for rhumbline? Seems the boats that sagged, whether they wanted to or not (Cal40) are making out yet again.

Wouldn't the "safe" call be to error on being a bit south?

Hi Mitch,

I saw no pre-race forecasts in my neck of the woods that called for rhumbline routing. In fact, the opposite was true, and I predicted 31 N x 130 W as a good Pt. A. This is well south.

From the Farallones, the best route would have been sagging south initially. This would have put one at a better course for 1) speed 2) getting around the EPAC HIGH. 3) Smoother boat motion to reduce first night seasickness.


What I'm seeing is the bane of Transpac racers: zig zagging all over the ocean with no firm game plan. It is difficult to "chase" weather in a small boat, and you end up sailing miles more.

GREEN BUFFALO has not only much experience with the Race track, but has done his homework. So far, his is the best track of the fleet. GB has gone fast on optimum points of sail, sailing a smooth curving route SW. He has a game plan, and is acting proactively.

I don't know who is using onboard routing programs like Expedition, etc. But as Stan Honey has said many times, computer/GRIB generated routing invariably takes one too close to the EPAC High. Maybe this is why 75% of this year's SHTP fleet have routed themselves too far north? It's a traditional pit fall.

AJ! Good to hear from you!!!

WILDFLOWER had a good passage back to Anacortes, mostly motor sailing at 6.5 knts. Now tied up near Craig and Vicki's cold molded schooner MAGIC, one of my favorite designs. Farmers Market nearby. Sunny, with high smoke haze from wildfires in the Rockies.

BobJ
07-07-2012, 11:35 AM
GB (Jim Q) passed out a route at the skippers' meeting that had him sailing north of the rhumbline for the last two-thirds of the race. He evidently changed his mind but it may have affected the newer skippers.

sleddog
07-07-2012, 06:04 PM
164 162 163 165A beautiful day to let the dogs out! American Eskimos make good small catamaran sleddogs.

Actually, SSS supporter from Seattle Mark Clouse stopped by with his dog team. Mark is a professional dog trainer, tire kicking for a new boat. We visited until one of his puppies fell in, and we deployed dog overboard techniques.

Thanks to long time friend Gary Adams for dropping off a roller furler and top swivel he found at a swap meet. Now I can roll up the J-22 141% light air jib that Russell Brown donated. I think we got all points of sail covered now with the sail inventory.

For many years Gary lived aboard his TREKKA sister, TAREMA, and sailed his little ship twice to New Zealand. I first met him in Apia, Western Samoa, in 1973, when we were delivering IMPROBABLE to Oz for Sydney-Hobart. Gary's dinghy was an inner tube with ping pong paddles for propulsion. He paddled by every afternoon for sundowners at Aggie Grey's.

For those who don't know Jim Quanci, skipper of Cal-40 GREEN BUFFALO, I'll just say his experience includes twice racing the Moore 24 TEAM BONZI to Hawaii, and was Overall Winner of the Pacific Cup with Frank Anzak on TEAM BONZI in 1992. They horizoned the fleet.

It was Jim on GREEN BUFFALO that first spotted the distressed LOW SPEED CHASE. There is no finer gentleman, student of the game, and contributor to the sport than Jim and his wife Mary Lovely. SSS and SHTP are lucky to have the BUFFALO among it ranks. It is no accident GREEN BUFFALO and Jim Quanci are contending for the overall lead.

Critter
07-07-2012, 07:57 PM
I've got a question on PacCup tactics.
Not to get too pedantic or tetchy, but this is the second time I've seen this error on an online forum in the last couple of days so I think I should speak up.

This is NOT the Pac Cup! This is the Singlehanded TransPac. Different races, different organizing authorities, different destinations in Hawaii, different crew limits. The Pac Cup starts in a week or two, I think.

Thank you, carry on.
Max Crittenden
SSS Commodore

knotbum
07-07-2012, 08:07 PM
It was great to meet you today sleddog and see your fine craft. It really is a remarkable cat! I was really sincerely impressed. The one that fell into the water is Cubby who is closest to sled and was screwing around. I don't know if his fur was initially buoyant but his head never went under. Yes I am carefully tire kicking, but you wouldn't believe what I ran into just a little bit after meeting you. I was walking thru one of the repair yards looking at different hulls mostly as they were dry stored and one hull caught my eye and so did the transom. The boat was dirty with no tarp or anything covering it and the paint of the name was fading, but I made it out to read "Wall Street Duck". I walked into the office and tried to ask some questions about the boat and the guy just told me it was a famous IOR boat from 15 years ago, and to google it. Well I did just that when I got back to Seattle and was pleasantly surprised that it was famous mostly around SF bay, but that it was designed by my all time favorite designer Carl Schumacher in about 1981. So, somewhat more than than 15 years, but kicking those tires revealed gold underneath. So now I've got to see if I have enough guts to track down the owner for a Waaaas Up. What an incredible day!

sleddog
07-09-2012, 10:50 AM
Congrats Alex and TRUTH on their new SHTP monohull elapsed time record! Well done.

A spectacular line of squalls passed over Anacortes at 0300 this morning and brought thunder, lightning, and pouring rain. The hour long event was not mentioned in forecasts, and may have caught the NWS with their pants down.

News from home is an 18' great white shark bit a kayak just west of Capitola's beaches, near the popular surf spot of Pleasure Point. No body hurt. But shark teeth were left in the kayak's plastic hull.

WILDFLOWER sets sail tomorrow for points north in British Columbia: Nanaimo, Princess Louisa Inlet, and Desolation Sound. Our destinations will be such that we will mostly be out of Internet range. I heartily endorse anyone who wants to step in here on this Forum Thread and tell us about what you are doing, ask questions, tell a sea story or share history, or post a criticism or handy tip. I will rejoin when I have a chance, providing we don't run afoul of wild animals. It is, after all, eagle, bear, wolf, and orca country where we are headed.

www.skippyskip.com/2012/02/25/slapped-a-grizzly-bear-like-a-boss/


Captain Jan: can you share some of your Duck driving stories? Howard: what's going on at Santa Cruz Harbor? Bob: How is RAGTIME and the Solent performing? And if there is anyone in Hanalei reading this, give us the real poop on how our Boys did in the SHTP. Most definitely everyone needs to be there to greet the General on his finish. Amazing.

And DARWIND. While most everyone else is puking and getting their sea legs early on in the SHTP, Tom is catching and cleaning fish, doctoring a possible fractured leg, and taking celestial star shots so he can compete for the Navigator's Trophy. Tom Watson: someday I hope to meet you and shake your hand.

Onward.

Mitch
07-10-2012, 12:32 PM
Not to get too pedantic or tetchy, but this is the second time I've seen this error on an online forum in the last couple of days so I think I should speak up.

This is NOT the Pac Cup! This is the Singlehanded TransPac. Different races, different organizing authorities, different destinations in Hawaii, different crew limits. The Pac Cup starts in a week or two, I think.

Thank you, carry on.
Max Crittenden
SSS Commodore

My bad, and I know better!

BobJ
07-11-2012, 09:53 AM
I wonder if HAULBACK is home in Nanaimo or out on the oceans somewhere. If home, maybe the little cat could pay him a visit.

RAGTIME! is "all dressed up with nowhere to go." It's been a tough year family-wise and I've had to stay close to home. The boat is 15 min. away at VYC and I'm getting in regular daysails. I'd talked myself in to coming down for the SHF but realized I'd be overdue for another trip to Seal Beach - this is my life this year.

Travieso
07-11-2012, 07:11 PM
I wonder if HAULBACK is home in Nanaimo or out on the oceans somewhere. If home, maybe the little cat could pay him a visit.

RAGTIME! is "all dressed up with nowhere to go." It's been a tough year family-wise and I've had to stay close to home. The boat is 15 min. away at VYC and I'm getting in regular daysails. I'd talked myself in to coming down for the SHF but realized I'd be overdue for another trip to Seal Beach - this is my life this year.

There is always 2014....

RockLobster
07-12-2012, 06:35 PM
I'm going to guess STARBUCK.
24 Hours!

sleddog
07-13-2012, 08:14 AM
Lobster:
Hi Mike! Is that you? STARBUCK? If you can remind us of the question, you might win something.
WILDFLOWER is in Silva Bay, BC., waiting out NW wind 20 knots, to sail NW across the Straits of Georgia, to Princess Louisa Inlet.

Our trip from Anacortes has been excellent. We had SE 18-20 knots for running up Rosario Straits. Did 20 miles in a little over two hours, until the top of the 30 year old Rhodes 19 spinnaker came off and the center peeled like a banana down the leaches. Oh, well, we still have Morgan's Moore 24 spinny in the focs'l.

Annette Cove, the first night, was pretty and quiet. Some horses on the beach were practicing their synchronized dance moves.

LadySmith Harbor was notable as being a recovery area for Purple Martins. 20 years ago they were down to five nesting pairs left in all BC, with local extinction likely. Nesting boxes were nailed to the LadySmith dock pilings, and now there are more than 200 pairs in that area alone. Purple Martins are like large swallows, and very vocal. We had several nesting boxes right by WILDFLOWER's spreaders, and the birds were zipping in and out.
http://www.ladysmithmaritimesociety.ca/purple.html

Pirate Cove is small and intimate. 10-20 boats in an area the size of Ayala Cove. We found a real pirate chest out on the point.

The VHF weather forecast, in French, was for clear and warm today. Of course we had rain showers transiting Gabriola Pass! I am having some difficulty with mental conversion and translation from French: kilometers/sec for wind speed (divide by 2 for knots) hectopascuals for baro pressure......

Ahead is Canadian defense area Whiskey Golf. This area, about 10 miles x 15 miles, is rented out to foreign navies for torpedo practice. Some years back we actually had a dummy torpedo, dropped from a plane, run under the boat. Now I am more aware of Whiskey Golf's boundaries. But no where can I find when/if WG is currently "active" or "inactive."

sleddog
07-14-2012, 07:16 AM
Sat. 7/14
WILDFLOWER is moored at Backeddy Marina, Egmont, Skookumchuck, BC. We came a well earned 40 miles yesterday, across the Straits of Georgia. Unlike SF Bay, NW winds in the Straits blow hardest in the morning, moderating in the afternoon. We left Silva Bay at 1100, only to find 20 knots and 3 foot square waves outside. Tucked in a reef and endured a bit of bouncing until things began to normalize. Nearby was a big tri, 44', sailing about the same speed in the same direction.

The breeze gradually dropped to a pleasant 12-14 knots, and lifted so we could lay parallel to the mainland coast. We were on the inside of the lift, and dropped the big tri astern. We overhauled a sweet looking little sloop, a grey Lapworth Cal-30, looking like Rainer's boat. Cal 30's were one of Lapworth's best early designs, and our family had one, COCHISE, #3, for several years. (see attached photos taken yesterday)

Finally, about 6 p.m. we approached Pender Harbor and turned up Agamemnom Channel, the beginning of the 60 mile fiord that ends at fabled Princess Louisa Inlet. PLI is similar to Yosemite Valley, with magnificent Chatterbox Falls at the east end. http://www.princesslouisa.bc.ca/princess-louisa-society-photos.php

One can only enter Princess Louisa through Malibu Rapids at slack water. Malibu Rapids is narrow, only a couple of lengths wide, and hidden behind rocks and trees. The current can reach 15 knots, with overfalls, at springs. Friend Gary Tracey once worked at the summer camp above Malibu Rapids, and had the unique experience of watching a pod of orcas play in Malibu Rapids, like kids at the Boardwalk.

Congrats to all Singlehanded Transpackers on a job well done! And especially to Jim Quanci and GREEN BUFFALO on their well deserved overall win.

AlanH
07-17-2012, 05:15 PM
This weekend, Yours Truly and Mrs. Alan took the skerry, "Vingilothiel" out for a row, as the skipper hasn't finished the sailing rig, yet. Launch time at 10:30 at the Redwood City Municipal ramp was followed by three hours leisurely row around Redwood Creek. I report that Sail la Vie is still floating. Yamaha 26's still look good to me, if very IOR'ish.

We rowed up the creek past a little inlet in the bank that I've never been able to get into before, so we explored that, enjoying the sight of a cormorant perched on an old piling, drying his wings. From there we scooted down past the Peninsula Marina, now closed. We took a detour into the old basin and rowed around for old times sake. Then off we went, and past Docktown to the Bair Island Aquatic Center....now completely a rowing center, which is where I bought my old Santana 3030, years ago. We spotted a mess of black necked stilts nesting on a small island/peninsula there, which necessitated a couple of very slow row-bys.

Once done with the stilts, we were off to look at Petes harbor and sigh over a Sprinta Sport, which looks like fun. We headed a few hundred yards up the slough and pushed the bow of the boat into the mud for lunch.

An hour later we slowly rowed back to the ramp to load back up on the trailer, three hours on the water....and it hardly cost me anything! Ha!

sleddog
07-18-2012, 01:21 PM
7/18/12

Our run up to Princess Louisa Inlet was blessed with a fresh following breeze, 15-25 knots. At one point we nosed into a waterfall cascading down a mountain side. Arrival at PLI was timed to coincide with slack water at Malibu Rapids. Inside this four mile long fiord, we counted 20 waterfalls, although 60 were reported earlier in June's max snowmelt from the 7,000' high snowfields ringing Princess Louisa.

We spent a quiet night on mooring at Macdonald Island before proceeding two miles up inlet to Chatterbox Falls. Strangely, there were less than 20 boats inside PLI, with 15 of them tied up at the dock managed by the PLI Society.

A De Haviland Beaver float plane disembarked the officers and directors of the PLI Society, who were there to set the stage for a cruise in and BBQ on Tuesday. As their float plane rested alongside the dock, it was clear their starboard pontoon was sinking. The pilot was pumping furiously until I pointed out a silver dollar size hole in the back of the pontoon.

The pilot consulted his repair kit and came up with a large wad of chewing gum that he chewed for 20 minutes and then plugged into the hole. Unfortunately, the chewing gum disappeared into the innards of the pontoon. I went to WILDFLOWER and retrieved a roll of duct tape, and we fashioned a nice big sticky ball that effectively plugged the leak, allowing the plane and passengers to take off. For the trouble, we were invited to the Big Event on Tuesday.

7 of 9 of the PLI Directors appeared the following day with their 50 foot powerboats. WILDFLOWER sandwiched between this fleet felt a bit out of place. But everyone was most friendly. Water temp in Princess Louisa was a warm 67 degrees, and swimming was in order to stay cool.

Today, Wednesday, we left at the 0500 slack tide, and beat 31 miles back to Egmont. The wind turned at every point to right on the nose.....but 6.5 hours later we tied up at Egmont.

sleddog
07-19-2012, 09:49 PM
Sometimes if you look closely, you don't have to go very far to find something really interesting. Madeira Park in Pender Harbor, about the size of Pt.Reyes Station, has a small government wharf capable of docking about 20 boats. This afternoon, the 37 foot Bill Garden designed troller HERSELF tied up just astern. What a beauty! I could not take my eyes off her.....

While the crew was up winning gas money at the local Bingo games, I wandered over to the boardwalk at the small lagoon behind the town church. There was a beaver family, including a baby beaver, chawing down on local woody morsels, including the sign post holding the placard describing the lagoon inhabitants.

H Spruit
07-20-2012, 10:21 AM
Ola from Santa Cruz;
I have forwarded the pics of Chatterbox falls to Rainer, Doug, Mark, and Danaher.
I was impressed with how many people at prayer meeting were aware of that place.
I also took note of the 31 mile trip from there to Egmont in 6.5 hours that is 4.76 VMG straight up wind!
I am curious how much motor time was involved, if any?
<H>

sleddog
07-23-2012, 12:50 PM
Howard,

We motor sailed 31 miles back from Princess Louisa. It was puffy, 10-20, with short chop....the engine at half speed and full sail gave us 34 degree AWA and 5-6 knots BS. The self tacking jib let us tack immediately on advantageous shifts. We passed a C&C 33 motoring at about 5 knots.

WILDFLOWER now in Desolation Sound. 7 hours to go 50 miles from Pender Harbor to Prideaux Haven. Wind was 140 to dead aft at 15-25. Jib wung to weather. At one point we passed a 60' submerged log. Boat was riding waves much of the way.

At Prideaux Haven we found PEGASUS XII with Dan and Linda Newland. What are the chances in a small cove in British Columbia you would find winners of 4 SHTP's rafted up? (Dan has won 3)

This morning the mosquitoes finally drove us out of Prideaux and over to Roscoe Bay, where we swam in 75 degree Black Lake. Now enroute to reversing rapids at Squirrel Cove. At high tide they flow west, at low tide. east.

Hi to All from Skip and Annie, crew of WILDFLOWER.

H Spruit
07-25-2012, 09:43 AM
I am curious to know how many miles you have logged with Wildflower since the launching?
I estimate that we have put approximately 600 miles on Moku since October 2008, and I am guessing that you have sailed close that number of miles since March of this year.
<H>

sleddog
07-27-2012, 01:46 PM
7/27/12

WILDFLOWER currently tied up at Port Maurelle, just north of Surge Narrows. Mountaineering friends Rob and Laurie Wood live on Maurelle Island, off the grid, in a nice home they designed and built overlooking the Okisollo Channel. We have been enjoying a break from the boat, with Laurie's garden to play in, raspberries and blueberries to pick, a hen house with a dozen chickens laying, and catching up on Rob's recent association with the Nat. Geo special called "The Man Who Could Fly."

Rob is also building a 20' aluminum hulled sailing catamaran they hope to cruise in the Sea of Cortez. The hull is most certainly "bombproof."

There is quite an assortment of wildlife on our 10 minute hike through the woods down to Port Maurelle. A ruffed grouse, quite fearless, follows along like a pet dog (see photo below), three garter snakes live under a rock at the head of the dock, a mink roams the beach, and the "Harbor Eagle" perches above on a dead fir spar.

In answer to Howard's question, since launch, WILDFLOWER has approximately 400 miles water miles under her hulls, and 1,000 trailer miles. MVP's to date are the stern steps, the below decks "Aquarium" hatch, the Queen bunk, the roller furling and self tacking jib, the 6 hp outboard, and the two companionway hatches and aisles below decks.

I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Hal Ward of CHEVAL fame. We sailed a lot of miles together, and Hal was always upbeat, positive, and looked out for his crew With the strongest upper body on the boat (he had polio), Hal would sit in his special chair and grind the spinnaker sheet all day long.

Welcome aboard to this Forum Capt. Bob Buell. Bob and wife Mary Jo, of Sunset Beach, Oahu, have been a good friends for 40 years. Bob is a multi year Transpac and delivery skipper. Bob captained Matson ships between the mainland and Hawaii for 30 years and amassed over a million miles to/from the Sandwich Islands. In addition, it was Bob's L-36 BELLWETHER that become the de-facto finish boat for the first SHTP in 1978.

Bob Buell
07-28-2012, 02:08 PM
Skip, thx for the welcoming note to this Forum. Am curious what your friends do for work there on Maurelle Is, or is it just a summer home?? Looking at Google Map, not many there.
Am waiting to hear if the 2 SSS guys found the abandoned race boat enroute Hanalei??
Aloha, Capt Bob

sleddog
07-29-2012, 10:21 AM
182 1837/29/12

Rob and Laurie Wood have lived full time on Maurelle Island for more than 35 years. Rob is an author, mountaineer expedition leader, and home designer. Laurie cooks for a nearby fishing lodge. Their new kitten, Smokey, is currently hanging off my laptop cord, jeopardizing the connection.

Rob is building a 20 foot aluminum cat, similar to a Wharram Tiki, just behind the hen house (photo attached). This morning we were visited by another local boat builder, Josh, who is building a 45 foot cat of his design. Josh uses a Russell Brown "commuter" proa, with 20 hp outboard, to haul up to 1,000 pounds of materials from the nearest town, Campbell River. Both Rob's and Josh's boats, essentially being built "off the grid," certainly demonstrate significant determination.

sleddog
07-31-2012, 02:48 PM
184We sailed up Okisollo Channel yesterday to visit Josh and Johanna Southerlin, and see their construction on the 44' cat of his design. Impressive to see fine construction using local materials. Also visiting was Clark and Nina of the 44' Marples tri RIKKI TIKI TAVI, built in Sacramento.

sleddog
08-01-2012, 05:50 PM
189 1908/1/12

Three months of living aboard WILDFLOWER finds all systems "Go." To celebrate, we sailed through narrow Beazely Pass to Surge Narrows Government Dock for the Wednesday Market. Surge Narrows acts as the public gathering place for residents of the local islands. It is a tight community, and they have built a magnificent home grown gym adjacent to the school.

As we lunched on the Surge Narrows dock, the mail plane arrived. It was greeted by a gentleman in an Aloha shirt, asking offloading passengers "Are you my mail order bride?"

After lunch, sailed 12 miles south to Rebecca Spit, a portion of which "broke off" in the 1946 earthquake. The Spit is 1.3 miles long and inland of its sandy beaches is fortified with First Nation battlements from 200 years ago.

sleddog
08-02-2012, 09:58 AM
Rebecca Spit, despite its reputation as the best anchorage in the area, proved less so last night. Due to the full moon high tides, the large quantity of driftwood logs on the beach began to launch themselves and go clunk in the night. As the wind and currents were light, no damage done. But for a while there, it felt like we were anchored inside a pinball machine.

Which begs the question of how are the returning SHTP boats doing with tsunami debris? One hopes there are no issues. But it should be interesting to hear of their passage details.

WBChristie
08-02-2012, 12:53 PM
"Are you my mail order bride?" hahahahahaha

sleddog
08-02-2012, 11:12 PM
We went back to Rebecca Spit this afternoon, hoping for a better result. Bow anchor in 28' and stern line to shore. All was well despite the strong NW wind. I took a walk ashore. The rafted powerboaters had set up a beach BBQ and iced beer chest.

The tide rose. And rose some more. At 13.4 feet, the drift logs on the beach came alive. In no time at all, we were attacked by dozens of logs, marching upwind in an unseen current. There were more logs than water. A deadhead with a flag on its upright end came by. That was the end. We released the stern anchor, pulled the bow anchor, and got the hell out of there.

One mile across Drew Harbor we anchored in the lee of the Taku resort floating breakwater. The full moon, all peach, rose. The wind died. Oatmeal cookies were served. All was peaceful again.

sleddog
08-06-2012, 01:22 PM
8/6/12

Gorge Harbor, about the size of Alameda Estuary, is entered through a cleft in the rocks with petroglyphs to port. http://www.cryc.ca/Pictos/Desolation_Sound/Gorge_Harbour.html Gorge Harbor is protected from all quadrants, and WILDFLOWER is anchored in a nook, 18', at the head of the western arm.

We came from Evans Bay, Read Island, where we were guests at the annual Read Island Picnic. Much fun, including the inflation of an elderly 12 man life raft. A giant "Whoosh." The kids loved that, and climbed aboard. A sea-going "bounce house..."

Other attendees at the Picnic arrived in a float house they'd just bought for 20 cases of beer. No anchors were included. So they anchored their new craft with weights of 20' lengths of rusty chain suspended from the four corners. Needless to say, the floathouse did not stay put overnight!

Yesterday, we anchored at Shark Spit. I was tempted to run the boat up on the gentle beach. But sharp oyster shells gave pause, and we anchored instead in 5' of warm water.

sleddog
08-14-2012, 11:07 AM
8/14/12

Part of the pleasure of cruising the Pac NW is unexpectedly running into friends .....Trevor and Tina Baylis from Santa Cruz, with daughter Mara (11) and son Colin (8) were in Gorge Harbor aboard Morgan Larson's 37' power cat. The kids were having a ball sailing Bic dinghies, while Trevor attempted to trouble shoot electrical gremlins aboard their loaner. The problems were put at bay, and we sailed to Shark Spit and rafted up for the afternoon.

Trevor shared with us his recent Pac Cup experience on the J-125 DOUBLE TROUBLE. An interesting comment was the amount of apparently "fresh" (unbarnacled) junk floating mid-Pacific, possibly from the Tsunami. Trevor said they would back down DT at least every spinnaker change to clear the blades of debris.....and that at least one contender "throttled back" at night after encountering a large floating dock....?????

WILDFLOWER has now come 90 miles south from Desolation Sound to Nanaimo, where we unexpectedly encountered the beautiful 37' cutter SYRMA, a 1941 John Alden design in immaculate condition. We tied up bow to bow with SYRMA, two wooden boats of different generations.

Aboard SYRMA were friends Geoff and Debbie Bourne from Maui. Geoff had also just done the Pac Cup on SC-50 HULA GIRL. They had a good trip, with three crew and six students, and "only blew out one spinny." Unfortunately, HULA GIRL has been dismasted (carbon rig) on the return delivery, four hours north of Kaneohe.

Our current destination is the city of Victoria, 70 miles south. We'll pass through Dodd Narrows this afternoon at slack water. All well aboard, and the 6 hp Tohatsu outboard continues to burn .25 to .33 gal/hour at 6 knots. The Tohatsu is a single cylinder, four stroke OB, with 5 amp alternator. Hopefully we'll see some wind and be able to fly Morgan's Moore 24 spinny.

sleddog
08-16-2012, 04:41 PM
After pleasant sailing yesterday under Moore 24 spinny in 6-10 knots TWS, we arrived Victoria noon today, Aug.16, the hottest day of the year on Vancouver Island. Moorage in front of the Empress Hotel had been recommended. But this location was pricey ($1.75/ft plus 12% tax), with no bathroom facilities, and with compromised air circulation to vent the heat and kerosene fumes from the nearby float plane terminal. The Wharfinger directed us to tie up adjacent to the promenade and main waterfront street in Victoria, complete with sirens, car alarms, buskers, t-shirt hawkers, and many tourists like ourselves. Did I mention the cruise ship SPLENDOR OF THE SEAS with 4,000 aboard was moored nearby?.

A long story short: culture shocked and heat stroked, we departed the "romance" of the Empress Hotel for a more secluded and cooler corner of Victoria Inner Harbor and are tied up between two singlehanders: Sergio from Hungary, and Tanaka-san from Japan. Tanaka-san had just arrived on his 26 footer after a 63 day Pacific Crossing, punctuated by a broken headstay that prevented him from flying sails forward of the mast. Tanaka-san's English was difficult . But we clearly understood his sentiment that his single-handed days are over: "no one to talk with!!!" I will direct Tanaka-san to SSS. Plenty of us to talk with there ;-)

We look forward to spectating the Dragon Boat Championships over the next three days. 90 teams, a drummer on the bow, a steersman aft, and about two dozen co-ed paddlers per boat. Contact "happens."
http://www.victoriadragonboat.com/ Yee haw.

sleddog
08-17-2012, 03:59 PM
WILDFLOWER's current location at Wharf St. Dock, across from the Victoria Maritime Museum, is good for boat spotting. Next door is the 75' square rigged ship NORTH STAR of HERSCHEL ISLAND, built in 1935 in SF for two Innuits who kept her above the Arctic Circle, at the mouth of the Mackenzie River Delta for most of her life. This is one stout ship, complete with ship's cats Abbey and William. http://www.northstarofherschelisland.com/

Down the way is the maxi-ketch GRAYBEARD. Competing for first to finish honors in the '71 Transpac, her large 4' x 6' skeg ripped from the bottom. GRAYBEARD's May Day came just as morning roll call started. Luckily, the cook had laid in a supply of buckets and her motivated crew bucket bailed while the leaks were plugged. In a rare move, the 500 pound skeg was winched aboard, GRAYBEARD resumed the race, and the skeg was rebolted to the underbelly in Hono.

Arriving this morning from the Vic-Maui Race was the SC-50 INCANTATION. Her crew had a story to tell: on the return passage she struck a submerged styrofoam and cement piling. Luckily they were only doing five knots under main alone, trying to clear netting from their maxi-prop. The piling took a divot out of the bow, slid down the keel, and impaled itself on their torpedo bulb. They had to back down to clear their appendage, and the "piling floated to the surface like a deadhead" In the same vicinity, the Vic-Maui racer FAMILY AFFAIR spotted an overturned 50' blue fishing boat, single-screw. Likely a Tsunami victim.

sleddog
08-20-2012, 12:33 PM
The Victoria Maritime Museum is home of TILIKUM, Capt. John Voss' 30' hollowed out red cedar log canoe. TILIKUM is quite famous in Canada and the subject of the classic "Venturesome Voyage of Capt. Voss."

Voss, a snake oil showman, won TILIKUM in a drinking match with a British Columbia Indian Chief. Voss had her decked over, and three masts installed. His intention was to sail TILIKUM round the World, supporting the voyage with "demonstrations."

Voss and crew Norman Luxton left Victoria, BC, in 1902 and sailed non-stop to Penrhyn Is. From there, they continued across the S. Pacific to Australia, then back to New Zealand. Thence to Africa, Brazil, and up to England, a total of 34,000 odd miles. TILIKUM and Voss became famous, and the boat was trained westward across Canada back to BC, I believe about 1907

Voss, long before the Pardeys, was a confirmed proponent of lying to a sea anchor and weathered many gales in this fashion. If you can find a copy, I recommend "Venturesome Voyage".

sleddog
08-20-2012, 01:18 PM
The Victoria Dragon Boat Festival could rightfully be described at 3 Bridge Fiasco meets Cirque du Soleil. Plenty of pomp to begin with on Friday, with Taoist monks purifying the fleet, and "awakening the dragons" by daubing the boats' eyes with red cinnabar paint. Lion dancers danced, drummers drummed, incense permeated Victoria's Inner Harbor, and the Festival Village was opened to 2,000 paddlers of all ages.

Saturday morning, the Inner Harbor was closed to traffic while the Dragon Boats competed on a 500 meter course. The good teams were getting their Dragon Boats up on a plane. Well, almost, as the bow drummer beat the paddling rhythm. A colorful scene for sure.

During a break in action, we requested clearance from Vessel Traffic and motored outbound, destination Roche Harbor, 25 miles distant, across Haro Straits. The breeze picked up nicely, 15-20, from the south, and we scooted along at 7 knots under plain sail.

AlanH
08-21-2012, 07:41 PM
I didn't know that Tillicum was at the Victoria M.M.

I finally got back in here to catch up! This is making me want to try some cruising.

sleddog
08-22-2012, 11:51 AM
Clearing back into the US was problematical. The Customs Agent couldn't understand why our CA boat registration (DMV) said "undocumented vessel." For a few moments, we felt like "undocumented aliens." That was cleared up. But then the Agent wanted to make sure our four apples had stickers of origin on them. Gee Whiz.

We tied up briefly at Roche Harbor, amidst about 400 powerboats, a similar number of blonde bombshells, and a mere 25 sailboats. The main dock at Roche was pre-empted for a "Dog Show on the Docks." Photo of Roche attached.

We sought more peaceful anchorage at Garrison Bay, home of English Camp and its 363 year old Big Leaf Maple tree.
http://www.thesanjuans.com/san-juan-island-places/san-juan-lakes/san-juan-islands-british-.shtml

All was quiet in the anchorage, except for a high school tuba player practicing, presumably for upcoming football season. Nearby, a 16' antique motor launch, SMALL FRY, came in from Canada with his one lunger, 1918 East Hope engine beating a tattoo. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/modules/vmmuseum/treasures/?artifactid=127

That night, all was still in Garrison Bay. We could hear the machinery of passing ships in Haro Straits, 5 miles distant. Vancouver is a big port in Canada, and dozen or more large ships per day transit Haro Straits.

sleddog
08-22-2012, 12:05 PM
AlanH,

The 16' motor launch, SMALL FRY, we encountered at Garrison Bay shows there is every imaginable size and type of vessel cruising up here in the Pac NW. Sailboats only make up about 15% of the fleet, and most all of them have completely enclosed cockpits with expensive dodgers. August is warm up here, and many of these enclosed cockpits were broiling. Enclosed cockpits on sailing craft are mandatory for winter cruising. But they compromise sail handling and visibility.

SMALL FRY had crossed Haro Straits from Race Rocks, about 25 miles. The owner had the boat tricked out, and was camping aboard under a tarp. I believe SMALL FRY is 1941 vintage, built as a work boat. Supplemental power was two oars. http://www.woodenboat.org/boats/Boat_Detail.aspx?processID=579

sleddog
08-22-2012, 12:42 PM
Orca watching, as noted in a previous post, is BIG business in these parts. With spotter air craft and Twitter feeds, the up to the minute position, direction, and speed of resident and transient orcas is known to all commercial outfitters. They "100% Guarantee" orca encounters.

In Victoria, the outfitters predominantly use 12 passenger RIB high speed inflatables. The passengers are outfitted in Mustang coveralls to presumably stay warm and dry. This navy of RIBS leave Victoria Inner Harbor every day at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for their dates with the orcas.

The recent birth of a baby orca was front page news in all the papers. Fines are going up to $2,000 next year for any vessel caught with 200 yards of an orca. Yikes.

I also mentioned the clarity of sound travel in this area, especially in the evening, night, and early morning. Last night we could hear the cannons fired at Roche Harbor Sunset and Flag Lowering Ceremony, 8.5 miles distant. Voices over water can often be heard at quarter to half mile. The Friday Harbor ferries can be heard reversing engine during docking at 3 miles.

AlanH
08-24-2012, 01:48 PM
I occasionally spend time participating in the Wooden Boat forum, and there's a whole section there on "sail and oar" boats. The idea appeals. If the wind doesn't blow, then row. Then again, that does limit your range, and of course if the boat has a big cabin, who wants to row it?. Guys do sometimes row 20+ miles, personally I think that's a bit much, though 10 miles doesn't phase me if the boat is handy enough and I'm not in a hurry and the tides cooperate. One of the regular contributors sails an Oughtred Ness Yawl, rather modified. Another sails a 15 food peapod. Another sails an Oughtred Caledonia Yawl, and another sails a 16 foot Hvalsoe design.....well, duh. It's Eric Hvalsoe. And so on.

This is why I chose the skerry. It's eminently rowable, and is supposed to sail pretty well, albeit simply. It has a flat bottom so in the rare occasion that I can put it up on the beach, it will sit flat. It tows behind my 4-clyinder truck without a thought. It stores in the front yard and requires no slip fees. It requires no haulout. It requires no insurance, as it's covered on my homeowners policy. The current sail, a-building is cut from a 12 x 14 heavy-duty white polyethylene tarp. If that works, I'll probably ask Synthia to build me a "real" sail. Shelter is provided by a tent-like structure held up by nifty bendable, lightweight aluminum tent poles. That's great in a fog, dew, a sprinkle or blue skies. God forbid that it pours rain! I would love to finish up the skerrys rig and then take it up to South Puget Sound for a 2-3 week summer messabout.

On the other hand, I wouldn't take the skerry to the Farallones and I don't have a PHRF certificate. It's all a compromise.

AlanH
08-24-2012, 01:59 PM
As a complete aside....Skip, you might enjoy this, as others will, too I'm sure...

Eric Hvalsoe's description, with lots of audience input, on how he came up with the Hvalsoe 16, and where he's going with the whole thing, now.

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?149569-Eric-Hvalsoe-and-the-HV-16

It just goes to show that there's more than one way to have fun at this stuff. For those who are visually excite-able, here's a picture or two of the Hvalsoe 16.

http://www.woodenboat.org/content/boat2c/image/2144952415_22e6319925_d.jpg

http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/46474/2201674910088484686S600x600Q85.jpg

sleddog
08-26-2012, 05:39 PM
Alan,

The Skerry is Beautiful. Internet here on Lopez Island is erratic. Maybe you could tell everyone about Small Craft Advisor? ~ sleddog

AlanH
08-27-2012, 04:40 PM
The Skerry.... Why and how?

Around the beginning of 2007 I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't going to be able to A.) launch a kiteship kite, singlehanded, reliably behind any big keelboats mainsail and B.) even if I did, nobody was going to care two hoots and buy one. The pull a boat like nobodys business once they're launched but it was 'way way too much work to get people to try them and the writing was on the wall. That was kind of the last hurrah of my keelboat enthusiasm. I'd had a real change of heart after the 2004 debacle. Seriously, that years failure to finish the SHTP and the ensuing awful trip up the California Coast totally changed my attitude towards sailing. Instead of a joyful thing, sailing became a chore. When I realized in early 2007 (maybe it was late 2006) that I was getting up in the morning and seeing my reflection in the mirror and muttering "failure" to myself, I realized that I had to finish up my business. I had to do a SHTP and finish it.

So I prepped for the 2008 race and did it. TRUTH - I never took Ankle Biter out for a fun sail. Not once. I took her out to race her in SSS events, to prep for the LongPac and TransPac. I did the work to prep yet another new boat for the SHTP. I'd done it twice before, now I did it again - this time on the cheapest budget I could imagine, because I'd blown a huge wad of dough on the Santana 3030 in 2004 and didn't really have the bucks. It wasn't fun. I was so totally burned out on the whole thing. I sailed up to the Corinthian YC before the race just wanting to get the whole thing over with. Honestly, once I got there I started to enjoy it, and I DID enjoy the race itself, but my race prep days were coming to an end. When I got back from Hawaii, it was time to take a break, and besides, Joan was very, VERY tired of pouring thousands of dollars every year into this hobby.

AlanH
08-27-2012, 04:55 PM
I had by then gotten very sick of Sailing Anarchy and so fed my online sailing surfing need by participating off and on, in the Wooden Boat forum. It's a very different crowd. After about a year, I could start to see the attraction of the "sail and row" mentality. It's low-cost, low-stress, no-racing, easy stuff. I'd always wanted to build a boat, but.....time, you know? I also did some reading about dinghy cruising, which is very popular in the UK and Australia. Lots of the UK sailors get started in Mirrors, and I'd had a Mirror, twenty years ago....great little boat. Probably the most popular dinghy cruising boat is the Wayfarer, and there was a fiberglass Wayfarer sitting on a trailer at Herron Island in Puget Sound where my inlaws had a summer place. "Dinghy Cruising" via "sail and oar" started sounding pretty interesting to me.

About that time, Joans mothers cancer started getting pretty bad. I spent a bunch of long days and evenings sitting in the hospital or sitting at Joans parents house, "being supportive" but without much of anything to do. So I started designing my ideal sail and oar boat in a free flat-panel CAD program from Carlson Design, called "HULLS".

I had a few parameters in mind. The boat had to fit in my front yard, diagonally between the corner where the fences meet and the concrete walkway up to the front gate. That meant about 17 feet, maximum loa. It had to be trailerable behind my 4 cylinder truck. I was going to build it on the super-cheap out of 3 or 5 ply, 5/16ths plywood, and 10 foot panels were really expensive, so I wanted to use 8 foot panels. I discovered, through using the HULLS, that about the longest hull I could get from butting 8 foot panels, factoring in hull shape, was about 15 feet. I wanted it to have a flat bottom so that I could beach it on a shell beach in Puget Sound (my in-laws had a house up there) So I designed and designed and designed during that period where mom was so sick.

Somewhere in there, I made a scale model out of cardboard. It was by no stretch of the imagination perfect, but it looked pretty good, so I changed a few things....filled out the ends a bit, and made another model. That one looked good. I was just about ready to buy the plywood when I discovered the Chesapeake Light Craft Skerry, online. Whoah. This was the *exact* hull I had designed, with all the same features built-in, in a kit....and someone who actually wore the title "naval architect" had designed it. I figured that was a sign.

Well, one thing led to another, and I discovered that a local guy had bought a kit and burned out on it and given it to the Sea Scouts. I went and saw the boat during a break, doing race committee for the 3BF in 2010, I think. Maybe it was 2009. Anyway, a year later I checked in with them again...they still had the boat. So I bought it and took it home and then took my sweet time finishing it off. It's STILL not done, I need to finish the rudder and install the mast step, and then make the mast.

There will be a day when I get another keelboat (what I really want is an Olson 25) and race under the Golden Gate Bridge and out to the Farallones with the SSS again. It'll happen, I miss it too much and in time it will be fun, again. But for now....

I think my big adventure will be launching from Sausalito or maybe Fort Baker, and sailing up the Bay and up the river to Stockton over the span of about 5-6 days. Paul Kamen launched his El toro from Richmond and did it, and this boat is a LOT more seaworthy than an el toro. I realized a few years ago that over the span of almost 15 years where I had four different boats, NOT ONCE did I ever take any of them up to the Delta for the usual Delta Cruise. That's NUTS. I'll camp where I can and snooze on the boat under that nylon tent-top when I can't. I think it would be a riot of fun to take 2 -3 weeks of vacation and do as much of the Puget Sound marine trail as I can, with the skerry. Sail when I can and row when I can't and take my time....I'll be in no hurry.

Personally, I think it'd be a blast to get a passel of SSS sailors together for that jaunt up the Delta. Bring your Lido or Holder 14 or Banshee or Thistle or JY 15 or FJ or Laser or what-have you. Load some extra clothes and a camping stove and a sleeping bag in a couple of dry-bags or white plastic buckets and GO. I think it sounds like a great old time.

AlanH
08-27-2012, 05:08 PM
PS: I think I'm gonna buy a little 2.0 m two-line bridle fun kite to run off the skerry. No spinnaker. I bet I can launch the kite with my hands and steer with my feet.

What'cha' think? :D

BobJ
08-27-2012, 05:30 PM
Personally, I think it'd be a blast to get a passel of SSS sailors together for that jaunt up the Delta. Bring your Lido or Holder 14 or Banshee or Thistle or JY 15 or FJ or Laser or what-have you.

One Summer day when I was . . . a LOT younger, I sailed my Banshee from the Benicia Bridge across Suisun Bay and up the San Joaquin to Bruno's on Seven Mile Slough. I was planing pretty much the whole way, at times at the very fine, hairy ragged edge of disaster. By the time I arrived my feet were raw from the soaking and hiking straps. Man that was fun - I loved that boat, all 115# of it.

Try that today and I doubt I'd make it to Pittsburg.

Jonathan Gutoff
08-28-2012, 08:10 AM
Delta Dinghy Ditch: http://www.lwsailing.org/events/ddd2012.shtml
Gunkholers: http://norcalsailing.com/entries/2012/07/08/ungunkholers.html#.UDzfJ47tqh4

Sorry for the hijack Skip.

sleddog
08-29-2012, 05:59 PM
Thanks, Alan, for the History of your sailing and the Skerry. And Jonathan for the Delta Dinghy links. I encourage any and all to share links, sea stories, educational experiences. You know: what we'd share around the fireplace or bar.

WILDFLOWER is back where we began in May: Anacortes, WA. Enroute, we had a delightful visit to Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island. Locals call their rock "Slowpez." Everybody walking, cars, bikes, and boats waves to each other with the Lopez greeting.

Fisherman Bay's narrow entrance makes the bay waters landlocked, about the size of Clipper Cove. Anchorage is good in 8-20', mud bottom. We anchored 75 yards south of the Islander Resort Marina, about 50 yards offshore, in 10' of water. Our Avon Redcrest inflatable dinghy provided shoreboat services.

After riding rented bikes 14 miles around Lopez, we pedaled out to Reef Net Spit. Anchored nearby was a 5.5 Meter sloop, the turquoise blue SUNDANCE, designed by Bill Luders. I hadn't seen this one time beauty in 44 years, since the '68 Olympic Trials and snapped the below photo. Unfortunately, SUNDANCE's original bow had been bobbed (to reduce weight in the ends?)

Behind SUNDANCE are derelict reef net boats once used by local Native Americans to catch salmon swimming into Fisherman Bay. The flimsy towers allowed aerial spotters to determine when the tubular net was full and could be closed behind the unsuspecting fish. http://www.islandcam.com/fishermansbay.html

In a reminder that things that go bump in the night aren't all maritime related, WILDFLOWER crew Annie was fielding calls most of last night from concerned relatives and tenants in New Orleans, her home. Hurricane Isaac was making landfall nearby to New Orleans. Things seemed to be going OK until 3 a.m. when she learned a neighbor's large pecan tree branch damaged her roof. She is out of here first thing when NOLA airport reopens, probably Friday, armed with Blue Plastic Tarps from Anacortes West Marine. Annie is a survivor. In Hurricane Katrina, the waterline in her home was 8 feet up the wall.

Next up for WILDFLOWER is the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival Sept. 7-9. If any of you are in Port Townsend for "Woodboat Woodstock," please stop by to say hello.
www.woodenboat.org

sleddog
09-01-2012, 08:51 PM
Today, Sept 1st, is the fourth anniversary of saying goodbye to WILDFLOWER.

Good news is Annie got into New Orleans Airport last night. The power just came back on. Ice and MRE's are being distributed by the Red Cross. The neighbor's fallen pecan tree (not just a branch as first thought) damaged the roof and interior of her home. With big deductibles for hurricane insurance, it looks like an involved repair.

I spent much of the day prepping for the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival, including varnishing and touching up paint, and unloading gear into the car. WILDFLOWER, the cat, is by no means a "yacht." But with the critical eyes of Jim Brown, Meade Gougeon, Lin and Larry Pardey, and locals Brian Toss and Carol Hasse among others who will be at PTWBF, it behooves to be ship shape.

You can tell the serious wooden boat owners at the Boat Fest: they'll have a flower bouquet in the cockpit, and chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. My flower bouquet is a bit more prosaic. Gary is lending me his deceased mother's favorite flower vase with daisies that pop up and down to the tune of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B."

I cleaned rust off the stainless equipment this afternoon using an old toothbrush and Crest Whitening toothpaste with flouride. I wonder if anyone will notice the mint smell of the jib lead blocks and stanchion bases?

sleddog
09-03-2012, 08:03 AM
5/3/12 Anacortes.

I've just reread Alan H's personal account. Yesterday I had a nice chat with James McMullen of Emerald Marine. James was hauling his cool little 16' skerry, ROWAN after a 4 day, 30 mile RT row/sail/camp out to Clark Islands.

James builds these Iain Oughtred Arctic Tern skerrys, 52 of them, and has his act together for cruising. He's been cruising his little yawl since 2006, as far as Barkley Sound on the W. Coast of Vancouver Is. I look forward to learning more from his experiences.

It didn't take long for James to unrig, haul, and drive off with his skerry behind his 4 cylinder Honda Element. I will next see him and his disciples at Port Townsend Wooden Boat Fest. http://emeraldmarine.blogspot.com/

AlanH
09-04-2012, 06:00 PM
5/3/12 Anacortes.

I've just reread Alan H's personal account. Yesterday I had a nice chat with James McMullen of Emerald Marine. James was hauling his cool little 16' skerry, ROWAN after a 4 day, 30 mile RT row/sail/camp out to Clark Islands.

James builds these Iain Oughtred Arctic Tern skerrys, 52 of them, and has his act together for cruising. He's been cruising his little yawl since 2006, as far as Barkley Sound on the W. Coast of Vancouver Is. I look forward to learning more from his experiences.

It didn't take long for James to unrig, haul, and drive off with his skerry behind his 4 cylinder Honda Element. I will next see him and his disciples at Port Townsend Wooden Boat Fest. http://emeraldmarine.blogspot.com/

HA! The James would be blinking in horror right now! "Rowan" is a modified Ian Oughtred Sooty/Artic Tern design. Ian is a Scottish designer, who in some ways lives in an earlier and simpler time. Like for example, he doesn't have a telephone or e-mail. If you want plans for one of his designs, you can get them from the distributor in the UK. Most of Ians designs are based on Danish influences, the traditional faerings. However, he has designed a few dorys and whatnot. All the designs are buildable in glued lap plywood.

James liked the Arctic Tern design, but wanted to change a few little details. So he wrote (an actual paper letter) to Ian and asked about them. Ian gave the OK, and the result is "Rowan" which is, truly an absolutely gorgeous boat.

James is pretty up-front about his preferences. After building a mess of "box boats"...like Bolger designs, and sharpies and whatnot, he nowadays won't touch such a thing. As I write this, there's a thread on the Wooden Boat forum where several of his friends are tormenting the fellow for his defiant individualism, and the whole thing has evolved into designing the NON-double-ended, "anti-Rowan" sail and oar camp-cruiser. It's great fun.

He seems like a great guy. I think it would be a blast to have a short cruise with him, Eric Hvalsoe and that Yeadon fellow with the blue peapod - "Big Food". I'm glad you met up.

The skerry design is a nod in two directions by the designer... John Harris. One is the faering...like Ians boats, but the other is more like a Chamberlain gunning dory. The skerry has the flat bottom of the dorys though is a bit wider for more form stability while sailing. Ians boats (aside form the couple of dories that he's designed) have rather more deadrise. You give away a bit of rowing performance for that, but in boats, everything is a compromise, right?

Here's a build of the Oughtred design "eflyn" which is pretty close to a Hardanger faering in shape....significant deadrise in the very wide garboard planks.

http://ic2.pbase.com/o2/53/578453/1/97779192.4JFAentz.DSC_4683.jpg

The Oughtred design which is probably most like my boat is his 15 foot "skerryskiff", which has the dory-type flat bottom, as you can see from this construction photo.

http://www.thewoodenboatschool.com/boatbuilding/img2011/intro-to-boatbuilding.jpg

Photo of a Chesapeake Light Craft skerry.....

http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/david77/merch2.jpg


----------------------------


...and the part about cleaning up the railings with toothpaste is hilarious!

AlanH
09-04-2012, 06:04 PM
Today, Sept 1st, is the fourth anniversary of saying goodbye to WILDFLOWER.

that is hard.....tough memories but good ones, too.






You can tell the serious wooden boat owners at the Boat Fest: they'll have a flower bouquet in the cockpit, and chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. My flower bouquet is a bit more prosaic. Gary is lending me his deceased mother's favorite flower vase with daisies that pop up and down to the tune of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B."

EXCELLENT!!!! :lol:


I cleaned rust off the stainless equipment this afternoon using an old toothbrush and Crest Whitening toothpaste with flouride. I wonder if anyone will notice the mint smell of the jib lead blocks and stanchion bases?

sleddog
09-04-2012, 08:48 PM
Today Gary and I took WILDFLOWER out of Cap Sante to put her through her paces in anticipation of Friday's 26 Feet and Under Race at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

On our way out the marina, we passed four end ties of 80-120' maxi-power yachts. Then we came to MURZY 1927, the last of Anacortes original fishing boats. This soulful little ship was red tagged and chained to the dock, her slip rent in arrears. She will likely be broken up. Sad.

At the turn out the breakwater we came to a powerboat that somehow plowed straight ahead between two "Shoal Water" "Danger" "Do Not Enter" signs. She was hard aground on the bricks. One wonders the blood alcohol content of her driver.

Our practice went well in good sailing conditions: SW 8-14 knots. We tacked, jibed, changed jibs, set the chute. Only to end the delightful sail when I noticed the mylar peeling off the starboard side of the older J-22 jib. We rolled into an inside spinnaker jibe, and came out with a nice twist. I briefly wondered about the wisdom of racing my house.

Tomorrow I sail 30 miles across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Port Townsend. It looks like good weather, and Seattle's all time record of 51 days without rain may be broken early next week.

H Spruit
09-05-2012, 09:35 AM
I think the negative thoughts of "RACING THE HOUSE" should be taken seriously.
Good luck!?

sincerely,
Howard Spruit

sleddog
09-05-2012, 06:52 PM
The passage from Anacortes to Port Townsend was a piece of soup. Motoring at 6.3 in smooth conditions, clear viz. PT is wood boat central. Next door is a 50 foot bright schooner "NEVERMORE." Sugar, the cap of schooner ALCYONE, says locals call her "NEVERDONE," and that she currently has 17 coats of varnish on her hull.

The big schooner ENCHANTRESS just came in to Yacht Haven. Not a word was said as her skipper turned his 160' ship 90 degrees in her own length, and tied up to the pumpout dock. Impressive. The young crew spent an hour putting perfect flakes into the jibs. She and ALCYONE will join us all at noon tomorrow entering Point Hudson Marina, site of the Wooden Boat Festival.

Up in the boatyard at the head of the ramp is a familiar sight. Dan and Linda's PEGASUS. Unfortunately she is hauled for keel repairs, having dinged a rock in Gorge Harbor. Dan thinks the keel bulb has a broken bolt.

Time for dinner.

sleddog
09-13-2012, 04:52 AM
9/13/12

WILDFLOWER and I are back home in Capitola. We had a wonderful final sail from Port Townsend to Anacortes (30 miles, 4 hours) running before a fresh SE wind. Monday I lowered the mast, hauled the boat, and secured for the highway. Tuesday I set off down the I-5 at 0800, and 12.5 hours later pulled over for the night at a Corning, CA, reststop. Yesterday I was on the road again at 0530, and pulled into the driveway mid-morning, 17.5 hours, 932 miles at average speed of 53 mph, 13 mpg.

The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival ("Wood Boat Woodstock") was a feast for the senses, and WILDFLOWER and I were in the middle of it. Waiting for my dock assignment outside Point Hudson Harbor, I watched the magnificent Grand Banks schooner PACIFIC GRACE make her entry into Point Hudson, and somehow pirouette her 140' length 180 degrees in the 130 foot fairway width. A piper played his pipes on the breakwater. I could just imagine a young Sterling Hayden in her foretop. http://www.salts.ca/site/about_us/history_of_salts.html

How much rigging is there on PACIFIC GRACE? A mile? Two miles? 10 miles? PACIFIC GRACE's topmasts towered over adjacent schooners MARTHA and ALCYONE, the 1899 Bristol Pilot Cutter CARLOTTA, and SPRAY. The only thing higher in all Port Townsend was the church steeple on the hill.

sleddog
09-13-2012, 05:26 AM
While PACIFIC GRACE made her entry, WILDFLOWER was overtaken by the 1899 Bristol Pilot Cutter CARLOTTA, under full sail. I hadn't seen CARLOTTA since Canoe Cove in early June. Was HW Tillman still preserved below? CARLOTTA was just in from being named Best Restoration at the Victoria Wooden Boat Festival. Looking good would be an understatement.

The cool thing about the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival is every entry has a story. I just ran across the first photo of CARLOTTA, under full sail, taken by Beken of Cowes in 1917.

At 1220, WILDFLOWER was summoned into Point Hudson by Dan the Festival Harbormaster. We took our slip just astern of Mike Higgins' beautiful catboat JEAN ALDEN from Palo Alto. Mike said this was his 10th PTWBF and he had the Festival participation flags to prove it.

I spent the afternoon watching the basin fill up. A nearby sign summed up what was happening: "We're all here because we're not all there.."

sleddog
09-13-2012, 06:37 AM
For Alan H: Nearby to WILDFLOWER at the Boat Festival was James McMullen's Arctic Tern Skerry ROWAN. James, emerging from under his boom tent, came over to WILDFLOWER for coffee, and we talked about you, Alan. James said for you "to get your ass up here.."

ROWAN, despite her small size, was a gathering point for many on the dock. I suspect part of the attraction was ROWAN's dinghy, all of 3' long, which held 4 junior kegs of beer.

James and ROWAN figured in some of the best boat handling of the Festival. During the Sail By, in front of hundreds of spectators, somehow the beer dinghy, being towed astern, came adrift.

In 20 knots of wind, James jibed his yawl, then jibed again. Deep in the surfline, James plucked his beer dinghy's bow line and towed her to safety. Save the beer. Well done, James.

sleddog
09-13-2012, 07:08 AM
Part of the pleasure of Port Townsend is visiting with friends, new and old. I attended the Lifetime Achievement awards ceremony honoring Sam Devlin and Carol Hasse, It was held upstairs at the new Northwest Maritime Center, overlooking the harbor, and below was the dinghy beach, renamed in Carol Hasse's honor.

Sam and Carol were founders of the Wooden Boat Festival 36 years ago, and have been active in support ever since. Sam, of Olympia, WA, builds (416 to date) "whimsical" designs, sail, power, and row, using the stitch and glue method and modern epoxy technology. The popularity of Sam Devlin's boats was evidenced at PTWBF by more than a dozen of his designs on display in what he jestfully called the "Devlin Ghetto."

Carol Hasse's beautiful Folkboat LORRAINE has also been displayed at the Boat Fest every year since 1979. Carol is a sailmaker in Port Townsend and spins gold by sticking to traditional methods of construction that helps her quality sails withstand the tests of time.

Carol, a founding board member of the Wooden Boat Foundation, for over 30 years has given back to the community with lectures on all aspects of sail making, as well as Safey at Sea Seminars, and sail training for women and youth.

During the awards for Sam and Carol I glanced around the packed room. There was Jim Brown and Meade Gougeon, founding Fathers of modern wood boat building methods. To my left was John Guzzwell of TREKKA, to my right was Jay Benford. Nearby sat Lin and Larry Pardey, also Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Congratulations and Well Done, Carol and Sam!

sleddog
09-13-2012, 09:48 AM
There were over 300 boats on display at PTWBF, and the majority of them were small craft, 26' and under. Almost all had solved typical small boat issues in unique and creative manner. Several rowing craft had fitted the Gig Harbor Forward Facing Rowing System http://www.ghboats.com/options/accessories/forwardrow/

There were several electric propulsion systems in use. Chesapeake Light Craft had caravaned a fleet of their fine kayaks and rowing shells out from Annapolis.

The original Colorado River Running boats from the 1950's were there, all beautifully restored. The queen of this fleet, the SUSIE R, even had a forward facing "rumble seat" for riding the rapids, which during those early years had no dam control.

The kids were building boats at their model boat school. Dan Newland, 3x SHTP winner, joined the fun and has built a sexy Radio Control racing boat, looking just like the big PEGASUS XIV. I asked Dan, who had been up until midnight finishing his new RC boat, what the name of his new craft was. "PEGASUS.XIV" he replied without hesitation.

Small was happening all over Port Townsend. At one point a 6 year old kid dressed in a pirate's outfit and rubber sword walked up to WILDFLOWER and said, "Mister, can I come aboard and take over your boat?" I replied that he was certainly welcome. Aboard he came, and as he peered below, the same kid says again, "Mister, I'm going to take over your boat!"

sleddog
09-17-2012, 03:45 PM
I made a quick trip Sunday to LA for a memorial for George Griffith, who died at sea last week at 91 aboard his beloved ULDB powerboat SARISSA, surrounded by his family while on a passage back from Catalina.

George was an inspiration for many and is perhaps best known as the Father of the Cal-40.

Early on, George was interested in speed and design of boats. He built his first boat in 1930 at age 9. During WW II he was charged with surveying destroyers to ensure they were capable of max speed.

In 1941, George skippered his 45' cutter PAJARA in the Transpac, and until his recent passing, remained Transpacfic Yacht Club's and LAYC's most senior member. "It just means I've lost a lot of friends," George recently remarked.

Early on, George understood the value of keeping a boat light. I first met George as an 8 year old in 1953, when our families were building two Lapworth 36's side by side at Chapman and Kalayjians yard in Costa Mesa.
We flipped a nickel, and the Griffith's CASSANDRA assumed sail #1, HOLIDAY was #2. The racing record of these two boats helped put the young Bill Lapworth on the map. The nickel went under CASSANDRA's mast.

Although Lapworth's name is on the plans, it was really George Griffith who fathered the Cal-40. George personally shaped the flaired "surfing" bow, and insisted on a mast a foot taller and spade rudder. He promised Jensen Marine 10 orders and took delivery of hull #1, PERSEPHONE in 1964. Griffith also crewed on PYSCHE, Cal 40 #3, when she won the 1965 Transpac, and started a new era of surfing to Hawaii. This influence continues right up to present day with the resounding win of the Cal 40 GREEN BUFFALO in this year's 2012 SHTP.

Besides his sailing legacy, George Griffith leaves behind his lovely wife of 62 years, "the Light of My Life," Millie Griffith.

In a fitting send off, members of LAYC gave George a 21 gun salute, pooping 21 bottles of champange simultaneously.

Kimball says it all much better than I: http://blueplanettimes.com/?p=9815

sleddog
09-17-2012, 08:50 PM
While waiting for the George Griffith ceremony to begin, I perused the back walls of LAYC in San Pedro. There was an old framed piece of paper, answering a question I never thought to ask:

"What was the first toll paying vessel to transit the Panama Canal?"

The answer was right there on the piece of paper. The 60' yacht LASATA, owned by LAYC Commodore Morgan Adams, had the distinction of being the first toll paying vessel to begin transit of the Canal on August 14, 1914. The framed piece of paper was LASATA's admeasurement and receipt, which showed Commodore Adams payed $57.60 for his 48 ton ship.

Adams, a gifted navigator, was on a voyage from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles and surprised Canal authorities who had expected a much bigger ship to be their first customer.

During WW I Adams served as navigator of the battleship OREGON, and commander of the torpedo boat FARRAGUT.

Morgan Adams later won the 1930 Transpac with his 136 foot schooner ENCHANTRESS. His navigational skills exceeded his weather skills when ENCHANTRESS, sailing rhumb line, reeled off 759 miles in the first three days of Transpac, only to run smack into the Pacific High where they drifted along for the next week, barely making 100 miles/day.

AlanH
09-18-2012, 04:04 PM
It's been about 6 years since I got up to the Festival. It's a serious "happening" and I loved every minute of it. That year, the high point for me was crawling around in John Guzzwells "Trekka", which is now at the Victoria Maritime Museum, I believe. Also in attendance was his re-think of the design, which he built as a cutter. The boat was cold molded, but not epoxied...he used a different adhesive. The boats name is "Dolly", he built it for his wife and there was an extensive Wooden Boat article about it, in the early 90's. What an absolutely lovely little boat. It's since been sold and the new owner brings it every year.

Back then I was quite all agog about Sam Devlins designs, and so spent a lot of time looking around at examples. That was the year of the Port Townsend 15, a performance dinghy with a carbon fiber gaff rig. A number were built as projects at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building. I also went to a Brion Toss workshop on splicing wire rigging and sat in as one of his journeymen showed us how to splice a wire eye. That's probably not something I'll ever do, but it was sure interesting. I went to a couple of design forums that were held in Carol Hasse's sail loft, too. All in all, that was an absolutely magical three days, and I would love to do it again. We stayed with good friends Jack and Elizabeth. Jack was doing CAD work for one of the local big yards, but since then has scored the ultimate....a teaching job at the school. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

If I'd done a slightly better finish job on Vingilothiel, I could rep for CLC up there, which would be a kick.

The James is right...I DO need to get up there for the show, again!

The wooden boat forum has several picture of the beer pram! I think I NEED one!!!

AlanH
09-18-2012, 04:10 PM
There were over 300 boats on display at PTWBF, and the majority of them were small craft, 26' and under. Almost all had solved typical small boat issues in unique and creative manner. Several rowing craft had fitted the Gig Harbor Forward Facing Rowing System http://www.ghboats.com/options/accessories/forwardrow/

There were several electric propulsion systems in use. Chesapeake Light Craft had caravaned a fleet of their fine kayaks and rowing shells out from Annapolis.

The original Colorado River Running boats from the 1950's were there, all beautifully restored. The queen of this fleet, the SUSIE R, even had a forward facing "rumble seat" for riding the rapids, which during those early years had no dam control.

The kids were building boats at their model boat school. Dan Newland, 3x SHTP winner, joined the fun and has built a sexy Radio Control racing boat, looking just like the big PEGASUS XIV. I asked Dan, who had been up until midnight finishing his new RC boat, what the name of his new craft was. "PEGASUS.XIV" he replied without hesitation.

Small was happening all over Port Townsend. At one point a 6 year old kid dressed in a pirate's outfit and rubber sword walked up to WILDFLOWER and said, "Mister, can I come aboard and take over your boat?" I replied that he was certainly welcome. Aboard he came, and as he peered below, the same kid says again, "Mister, I'm going to take over your boat!"

HA!~ classic. If you saw a tall, brown haired and brown-bearded, quiet-spoken fellow working at the kids model boat table, that's my friend Jack. Elizabeth was surely running here and there, taking pictures. They have both volunteered at the show for years and years...probably almost 20 years, now. Jack and Elizabeth are quite involved with the Schooner "Adventuress", as well.

I see that you got a picture of a John Welsford "scamp". This boat is currently the topic of a huge amount of over-the-top devotion from guys who wish to cruise the 11 foot, cuddy-cabined, standing-lug rigged plywood lapstraker, hither thither and yon. I'm curious what your thoughts are, now that you've seen one.

BobJ
09-18-2012, 06:56 PM
Now that you've cruised around Puget Sound and environs in the little cat - I'm curious what changes, if any, you want to make.

sleddog
09-19-2012, 08:25 AM
I'm guessing we cruised about 700 miles and visited 30-35 harbors and anchorages. Likely we motorsailed 80% of the time at .3 gal/hour. The most wind we saw underway was 20-25, and we reefed twice. The most water we anchored in was 35', but usually much less, maybe 10' at low water. Mosquitos were evident in only one anchorage, Prideaux Haven.

The biggest surprise was the amount of floating eel grass and kelp. We kept the daggerboard raised 90% of the time, and often kicked up the rudder every 15 minutes or so.

The design and construction of WILDFLOWER proved excellent. Nothing came unstuck, although we did blow out a 30 year old spinny in 20 knts. TWS. Despite continual lookout, we did hit considerable flotsam and jetsam, often small pieces of wood disguised as kelp. It would go "bang," but I can't find any scratches or damage. Underway, we sighted maybe a dozen large logs that would have caused damage or worse. Most motorboats in the Pac NW carry spare props. We never sailed at night.

I really can't think of anything I would change if we were starting over. Stability was never an issue. The boat carried quite a bit of gear, provisions, fuel and water, and came down to her waterline. Loaded she was 2" deeper than unloaded, and about .5 knot slower on most points. Max loaded speed I saw was 10.8, but we may have gone faster. Average cruising speed for the duration was about 5.5. Our speed instrument was a Velocitek Speed Puck. But we didn't always leave it on because it sucked AA batteries and would go flat in less than 10 hours.

That said, I have a three page list of improvements and fine tuning. We need to fine tune the trailer for ramp launching. I need to become more familiar with rotating the mast. Or I will pin it on centerline. The mast rotation causes some difficulty raising and lowering halyards, as aft pull on the halyard to the winch causes the mast to rotate. (All halyards cleat on the mast.)

The dinghy question remains open. We carried a 9' Avon Redcrest rowing inflatable. It worked well, but did not tow well either on short or long scope. Bringing it aboard and deflating was also a pain. It weighs 50 pounds. Kayaks won't fit, nor will a SUP.

For those who don't know, RAGTIME and MOKU provided a considerable amount of deck gear, fastenings, and line. I am very grateful for this, and it all worked well. Being able to say the deck gear was "recycled" caused interest.

We were continually surprised by cool discoveries aboard WILDFLOWER and how she performed. The MVP, a big surprise, was John Foster's below deck, bridge deck, ocean hatch. We called it the "Aquarium." Another surprise was how well behaved she was towing behind the car. Despite 8'6" highway legal beam, viz down both sides of the car and boat with the standard rearview mirrors was excellent, and I was never surprised with a blind spot.

What didn't work? Well, the "quality" Stan Sport propane camp stove really was a piece of Chinese crap. The stainless rusted, the paint peeled, the ignitor spring flew out, the plastic control knobs cracked off......The Petit Vivid white bottom paint was also a loser. Antifouling was poor. And any water pollution stuck to the waterline, causing an oily black ring around the bathtub.

I hope to have WILDFLOWER in the Bay Area (Brickyard?) during October, and invite any/all SSS supporters for a sail.

BobJ
09-19-2012, 09:15 AM
"I really can't think of anything I would change if we were starting over."

That's a great report and a testimony not only to the design, but also to the experience of the owner/builder.

Regarding white bottom paint, this is our first in-the-water season with Micron CSC in Shark White. An unscheduled mid-season haulout provided a chance to see how the paint was holding up. Answer = not that well compared with the white Trilux 33 we'd had for 5-6 seasons (re-applied about every 18 months). The entire forward section of the rudder was bare and there were thin spots elsewhere on the hull and keel. A diver has cleaned the Micron every six weeks or so, I'm told with a cloth diaper. The Trilux was perhaps a bit softer yet seemed more resistent to scrubbing and had better anti-fouling ability. Trilux isn't copper-based so the paint didn't turn green around the waterline. Lastly, you can buy it in an aerosol can so you can touch up the paint more easily when hauled out. If I had to decide today, I'd switch back to Trilux. (Vivid, Micron CSC and Trilux 33 are the only three white bottom paints I know about.)

Rags' inflatable is the smallest Achilles, and it weighs about 35 pounds. I haven't used it much - mostly for the visit to Hanalei in 2008. It is fairly compact - maybe I can remember to bring it by while you're in town so you can play with it.

Is WILDFLOWER up for a visit to Vallejo on Oct 6-7 (The SSS Vallejo 1-2)?

AlanH
09-19-2012, 12:55 PM
I'm guessing we cruised about 700 miles and visited 30-35 harbors and anchorages. Likely we motorsailed 80% of the time at .3 gal/hour. The most wind we saw underway was 20-25, and we reefed twice. The most water we anchored in was 35', but usually much less, maybe 10' at low water. Mosquitos were evident in only one anchorage, Prideaux Haven.

The biggest surprise was the amount of floating eel grass and kelp. We kept the daggerboard raised 90% of the time, and often kicked up the rudder every 15 minutes or so.

The design and construction of WILDFLOWER proved excellent. Nothing came unstuck, although we did blow out a 30 year old spinny in 20 knts. TWS. Despite continual lookout, we did hit considerable flotsam and jetsam, often small pieces of wood disguised as kelp. It would go "bang," but I can't find any scratches or damage. Underway, we sighted maybe a dozen large logs that would have caused damage or worse. Most motorboats in the Pac NW carry spare props. We never sailed at night.

I really can't think of anything I would change if we were starting over. Stability was never an issue. The boat carried quite a bit of gear, provisions, fuel and water, and came down to her waterline. Loaded she was 2" deeper than unloaded, and about .5 knot slower on most points. Max loaded speed I saw was 10.8, but we may have gone faster. Average cruising speed for the duration was about 5.5. Our speed instrument was a Velocitek Speed Puck. But we didn't always leave it on because it sucked AA batteries and would go flat in less than 10 hours.

That said, I have a three page list of improvements and fine tuning. We need to fine tune the trailer for ramp launching. I need to become more familiar with rotating the mast. Or I will pin it on centerline. The mast rotation causes some difficulty raising and lowering halyards, as aft pull on the halyard to the winch causes the mast to rotate. (All halyards cleat on the mast.)

The dinghy question remains open. We carried a 9' Avon Redcrest rowing inflatable. It worked well, but did not tow well either on short or long scope. Bringing it aboard and deflating was also a pain. It weighs 50 pounds. Kayaks won't fit, nor will a SUP.

For those who don't know, RAGTIME and MOKU provided a considerable amount of deck gear, fastenings, and line. I am very grateful for this, and it all worked well. Being able to say the deck gear was "recycled" caused interest.

We were continually surprised by cool discoveries aboard WILDFLOWER and how she performed. The MVP, a big surprise, was John Foster's below deck, bridge deck, ocean hatch. We called it the "Aquarium." Another surprise was how well behaved she was towing behind the car. Despite 8'6" highway legal beam, viz down both sides of the car and boat with the standard rearview mirrors was excellent, and I was never surprised with a blind spot.

What didn't work? Well, the "quality" Stanhope propane camp stove really was a piece of Chinese crap. The stainless rusted, the igniter spring flew out, the plastic control knobs cracked off......The Petit Vivid white bottom paint was also a loser. Antifouling was poor. And any water pollution stuck to the waterline, causing an oily black ring around the bathtub.

I hope to have WILDFLOWER in the Bay Area (Brickyard?) during October, and invite any/all SSS members for a sail.

Very interesting......and good. If the only significant issue was the propane stove and the antifouling paint, I think you did pretty darned well!

sleddog
09-19-2012, 01:31 PM
RAGTIME questions: Is WILDFLOWER up for a visit to Vallejo on Oct 6-7 (The SSS Vallejo 1-2)?

Well now. It had not occurred to me until mentioned. Why not sail to Vallejo and introduce WILDFLOWER to you? I wouldn't be racing. The foiling "S" daggers are still under construction, as is the 4 element wing .... Thus we've no stinkin' rating, among other things. But I'd be glad to unofficially shadow the fleet and be your beer boat at the finish.

That is, IF Alan H agrees to bring his Skerry to Vallejo to see if she (he) meets our collective approval, and to see IF
Alan really can fit aboard with his pipes and caber. That's a big IF. But he's a big boy.

Travieso
09-19-2012, 03:35 PM
That would be a treat.

sleddog
09-21-2012, 03:27 AM
It is sobering to see video of large cement dock from Tsunami floating north of Molokai.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/170624986.html
Hitting that thing would spoil one's day. Hawaiian fishermen are concerned, but local CG are unsure what to do. It's sister washed ashore at Agate Beach in Oregon and became an instant tourist attraction.

On a lighter note, what happens to a video camera at St.FYC when a seagull flies off with it at sunset is recorded here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RArofHji8CU

sleddog
09-24-2012, 09:40 AM
If one only does one race/year, Lake Tahoe's Fannette Island Race is a sure bet to provide good competition, a challenging course, and spectacular scenery. The windward mark on the 13 mile course rounds a fabled stone mini-castle on Fannette Island at the head of Emerald Bay. The challenges include random circular and nearly vertical component wind gusts descending from nearby Mt. Tallac. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emerald_Bay.jpg

Yesterday's race with good friends Viola and Denis on their Moore 24 AIRBORNE was no exception. Denis did foredeck, I was midships, and Viola drove. Lake Wind Advisories were flying, and we had 15-18 knots from the SW at the start. Most of the 15 boats were flying #3's, and some were reefed.

First mark was a close fetch to Taylor Creek. 25 knot gusts at times knocked down competitors, and several "auto-tacked." At Taylor Creek, the two Express 27's led, we were third, and another Moore, Lynn Wright's APRES SKI and the Melges-24 ZOOM ZOOM were nipping at our heels. The smaller boats had started 5 minutes ahead, and were also nearby, including a Santana 22 with Steve Katzman, a Ranger 22, a Santana 20 and some others.

From Taylor Creek we reached two miles to the entrance of Emerald Bay. Some attempted port pole spinnakers with mixed success. The gusts were well forward and in the high 20's. I saw the bottom of at least one of the Express 27's keel. The Melges 24 briefly had their spreaders in the water.

The entrance channel into Emerald Bay is tight, five lengths wide and bounded by submerged granite boulders visible in the clear water. This is where the stern-paddle-wheeler MS TAHOE QUEEN always seems to converge to make things even more exciting. Yesterday was no exception, and I'm sure several competitors had their hearts in their throats as the TAHOE QUEEN appeared on schedule, and alternately went from full speed to dead stopped, and then back to full speed.
http://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/LakeTahoeCA/activity/TahoeQueenSightseeingLunchDinnerCruisesPhotos.cfm

The two mile beat up to Fannette Island featured winds 10-25 knots, with 30 degree instant shifts coming down the granite cliffs. I'd rigged our #3 sheets two part, so we could tack without using a winch. We got passed by Lynn, and caught by WIND DANCE the SC-27, and a J-22. You can round Fannette Island either way, and there seemed to be no "right way." The swirling winds saw boats side by side, going the same way, on opposite tacks.

Running back out Emerald Bay, the two Express 27's, EAGLE and EXPRESSWAY and the Melges continued to lead. We jibed the spinny several times in 20 knots of wind. Several boats, including EXPRESSWAY, went belly up for extended periods in big puffs. At the Emerald Bay entrance, there again was the TAHOE QUEEN, its upper decks lined with tourists enjoying the show. Can you ask for "sea room" on a paddle-wheeler cruise ship? ;-)

The beat back to Taylor Creek favored the starboard board and there we all set spinnys for the 3 mile run to "R" mark down by S. Shore's casinos. Some big blasts came along and the Moore 24's were planing gaily along. I thought surely our well worn spinnaker would burst. One puff caught the J-80 HOT ROD and ourselves side-by-side. Before their sprit came into our cockpit, their asso wrapped, allowing us to pull ahead. Nearby boats later reported a steady 13-14 knots of boat speed.

We rounded "R" mark two lengths behind Lynn and knew we were in the hunt. Halfway up the final beat we caught Lynn, forcing her about. But then she made two nice tacks into favorable shifts, and beat our wet butts to the finish by three lengths. Well done Lynn!

It was an exhilarating day to be sailing. For anyone desiring a fresh water, mountain sailing experience, I recommend Windjammers Yacht Club's Fannette Island Race, the third Sunday in September. There are always crew positions open in the fleet as most, like ourselves, were racing short handed. And the post-race party is a hoot. Sea stories at 6,000 feet.

AlanH
09-24-2012, 02:03 PM
Tempting. I really have been missing my SSS sailing. Every time I drive over the Bay Bridge, I look down and remember. Ah, well. Someday, again.

Unfortunately on October 6th I have commitments. My band has a gig from 12:00 - 3:00 and we're going to see Don Byron at SF Jazz that night.

sleddog
09-24-2012, 04:40 PM
In the "All Things Lost and Found" story department, we admired Ruben and Ronnie's ocean retrieval of BELA BARTOK.

Then on 9/21 we saw a seagull fly off with some lady's video cam, only to land with its booty at the St.Francis Yacht Club.

Continuing in this vein, there is currently a real "Aw Shucks" story of launching a 4 year old kid's model train engine into Space. Stanley went up 18 miles over Tracy before he parachuted back to a corn field. Like BELA BARTOK, Stanley's recovery was aided by a GPS transponder. A train in space is not the Blue Angels over the City Front. But the story is just as good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoMN-zg7r3M

Libations Too
09-25-2012, 06:31 AM
Many thanks Skip for the very engaging account of your adventures with your new Wildflower. I've been following your reports all summer and it is some of the best armchair sailing I have done in a long time. Thanks again!

A technical question: can you give a review of your solar panel mount design, hardware selection, and performance? I have been thinking of adding a small panel to Libations and want to find a mount that is secure and yet allows repositioning to suit conditions. It looks as though yours allows panel stowage in a vertical position and can be adjusted to accommodate various sun angles when needed. Your review and thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

sleddog
09-25-2012, 09:21 AM
Richard,
Thankyou for your kind comment and question regarding WILDFLOWER's solar panel.

My panel was the first solar panel made for yachts, back in 1976. It was the sole source of charging aboard WILDFLOWER for the first SHTP in 1978. That it still works is a source of amusement in this day and age.

The panel is quite heavy, and with its frame and mounts, even heavier. But the price was right. A problem with this panel is that any shade renders it inoperative. It must be in clear sun. Even the shade of the thin line of the backstay puts it offline. Again, I don't care. But that would be the first question I would ask: “does the solar panel still put out if partially shaded?” If the answer is “no,” suggest looking elsewhere.

My panel is adjustable side to side. When aimed directly at the sun in a clear sky, it puts out 1 amp. Less than half that when tilted 45 degrees away from direct.

The panel is wired directly to the group 27 battery. No regulator or reverse diode. I don't believe with this size panel you can overcharge. To test the panel charging, I touch the alligator clips of the two wires to my tongue. It is also a good way to wake yourself up when groggy.

The panel is gimballed off the starboard stern pulpit, and can go from horizontal to vertical. I put the longer side inboards, so zealous neighbors don't rip it off when blowing their docking manuver. (see photos.)

The panel is secured to an aluminum frame I built from scraps. To the bottom of this frame two white thumbscrew friction clamps are attached. These clamps may or may not still be available commercially. I see them occasionally at swap meets. But they are not listed in the West Catalogue. I have the thumbscrews cinched tight, and the panel swivels side to side only when I push down firmly on one edge.

If you are going offshore, I recommend the panel also be secured with a safety leash. A pooping wave will often dislodged a panel, especially the bigger ones. I had one waterski astern for 10 minutes, and when retrieved, it continued to function.

Hope this helps.

Libations Too
09-25-2012, 10:28 AM
Thanks Skip...very helpful! I recognize those little friction clamps; they look like the ones used to hold my cockpit table to the binnacle guard. I didn't realize that your panel swivelled with the longer side inboard....sounds like a great idea. My use would be primarily to trickle charge my two group 27 batteries so a little shade occasionally would be no problem for me either.

sleddog
09-26-2012, 01:18 PM
Hmmmm. It appears that even the Americas Cup can't overcome the fact that multihulls are still considered second class citizens by mere mortals.

After multiple phone calls, and snail mail through the required hoops of photo, registration, and insurance with Brickyard Cove named additional insured, I thought I had a deal with Brickyard Cove Marina for dry storage. WILDFLOWER met all the printed requirements, including measurements. She displaces 800 pounds, about 1700 pounds less than an Express 27, and is highway legal beam (8.5'), 9" less than an Olson 30.

Don't count your chickens, sleddog.

The printed material began with "Welcome to Brickyard Cove Marina! We are excited to welcome you to our harbor."
But hold on. Why won't the office currently return my calls?

A terse e-mail answered the mystery today: "Unfortunately we are not permitted to accept catamarans to store at Brickyard Cove."

Well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit.

On the other side of Brickyard is happier news. Rich Weirick, long time harbor master at RYC is retiring Oct. 10. Richie has been a true friend to sailors for years. And if you needed a thing-a-ma-jig for your broken smart pig, Richie likely had one in the back of his "office."

Well done, and thanks, Richie! We wish you fun cruising.

sleddog
10-02-2012, 08:16 AM
Once a year or so, in the Fall, a combination of high pressure, offshore flow, and downslope winds brings a heatwave to the Coast. Yesterday we were bracketed by triple digits: 106 in Aptos, 105 in Soquel, 107 in Scotts Valley. More to come today before the cooling influence of stratus (marine layer) from a Southerly Surge makes it way up the Coast.

Reminds me of an unusual weather phenomena in the Big Boat Series some years ago. There was an inversion level down to about 50' and hot offshore zephyrs were wafting down from the Berkeley Hills across the Bay. About 3 pm the cool Westerly filled beneath the Gate, and blew eastward along the surface, under the warm Easterly.

Across the drifting fleet the unusual sight of the lower half of spinnakers filling with Westerly, while the upper half of the sail plan was sailing to windward in the old Easterly. It did not make for good headway, and I remember we all went swimming before the race was called at sunset.

It looks like a good sized fleet of SSS'ers racing to Vallejo. Tho we won't be racing WILDFLOWER this year, I look forward to bringing the boat to Vallejo as "escort" (or beer boat if you prefer.) We'll try to stay out of your water and off your wind. In Vallejo, feel free to stop by and say hello.

Cover Craft
10-02-2012, 08:52 PM
Bert HATES multihulls. And kayaks too. Nothing to do with logic or reason. Just No.

(No longer a tenant.. Tom of Constellation.)

sleddog
10-05-2012, 07:55 AM
Driving a boat over Hwy 17 and up the 880 is not for the faint of heart. But we got WILDFLOWER safely to Berkeley Marina yesterday. All went well with rigging. The plan was to launch using the 2 Ton hoist. Surprising to us, the lift clearance wasn't sufficient to get the boat up off the trailer. I shortened the slings, then we pulled the trailer out from under, like pulling a rug.

The plan was to sail across the Bay and take in the AC 45 Fleet Race. We tucked in a reef and left Berkeley at 3 pm in typical conditions of 18-20 knots and short chop. Overhead, six Blue Angels were roaring around in their practice. The big question: what was that little red bi-plane doing practicing with the Blue Angels? I think it was a Pitts Special, and was certainly hauling ass.

We got to the City Front at 5pm, in time for the AC Fleet Race start. The "arena" was well patrolled with big CG boats and many smaller boats with flashing red and blue lights. We watched the 11 AC cats start, round the first mark off the Marina Green, then take off "downwind." Downwind is relative for these high speed craft, as they always have the apparent wind forward of the beam.

Tho the racing was interesting from a distance, the real spectacle was the spectator fleet. There was several mega-yachts and a giant black ketch mixed in. Everyone seemed to stay clear. But clearly having a VIP flag let you speed around closer to the action with your RIB. Some creative flag maker should be selling those.

Our run back to Berkeley was fast, with the sun setting behind the fog over the GG Bridge. As we entered the Marina, there was a Dragon Boat being coached by non other than Lat.38's Max Ebb. Max has an interesting scientific theory: paddling in unison is not as fast as random paddling, each to his own speed and pace. I did mention we are in Berkeley?

Today we sail to RYC for the Vallejo 1-2 start. CU there.

Critter
10-05-2012, 09:34 AM
Skip, the start is on the Circle, so you may as well stay in Berkeley. It's where G is supposed to be; I'll be setting our inflatable mark.

Looking forward to checking out Wildflower in Vallejo.
Max

sleddog
10-05-2012, 12:08 PM
Yes, thanks, Max. Understand the Vallejo 1-2 starts off Bezerkely Circle, halfway between Richmond and Berkeley. But tonight at RYC is birthday party for SSS sailors Jonathan and Christine, born on same day of same year. So we are heading over there. As we are not officially racing the Vallejo 1-2, it doesn't really matter where we start, as long as the beer is cold.

I hope Capt. Jan is coming to Vallejo. Haven't seen her in a coon's age. Just imagine any other sailing organization having a amphibious Duck for a consort, like SSS does. (Just read Jan is RC Race Deck, and would appreciate assistance.)

Regarding the Pitt Special bi-plane working out with the Blue Angels yesterday. The Pitt is no ordinary plane. With 240 hp to hoist her 1200 pounds, she can climb at 3,000 feet/minute. http://www.aviataircraft.com/pitts.html I'm guessing the only SSS boat that could match that would be JETSTREAM with a JATO bottle. Daniel?

BobJ
10-05-2012, 12:52 PM
Skip, before my family started sailing we did airplanes. My Dad had a Knight Twister, designed by Vernon Payne in Bellflower. Like the Pitts it was a racing biplane but with a more "modest" 150 hp Lycoming - yet only a 12' wingspan! Mom had him beat - she had her license but was also trained to do aerobatics. She spent a fair bit of time in a Citabria - the same model of plane in which adventurer and SHTP record-holder Steve Fossett lost his life. Citabria is air_batic spelled backwards.

It was an interesting childhood.

I have to work today but hope to sail down from Vallejo on Saturday morning's ebb. I'll look for the little cat in SP Bay, then will turn around and race you for pink slips back to VYC. At least that's the plan.

sleddog
10-06-2012, 09:17 PM
A fun Vallejo 1 today, with 53 boats on the line in Southerly wind of 6 knots. EYRIE, ARCADIA, and OUTSIDER battled for the early lead along the Richmond shore, while TIMBERWOLF stayed well to the north. JETSTREAM, on starboard jibe, was one of the few to pass Redrock to the north, and seemed to benefit from an early flood.

The wind took a dump off Port Pinole, and the race restarted. A light SWerly filled to about 8 knots, with gusts to 10. The Santana 22 OREO was up in the high rent district, pacing the Expresses, the Moores, and seven Wyliecat 30's. MOONSHADOW went retro, and flew spinnaker and blooper from the 70's.

The fleet jibed down towards Vallejo in bright sunshine and pleasant temps. Up at the front, MAX, FLIGHTRISK, OUTSIDER, and JETSTREAM, were doing well.

The fleet had the usual port tack fetch to the finish up Mare Island Strait. OUTSIDER took line honors, a few lengths ahead of JETSTREAM. Jan and her crew on Race Deck finished the fleet and had the results posted online almost simultaneously. Thanks, Jan, for the salute to WILDFLOWER!

Vallejo YC members were stationed throughout the marina to guide everyone to their docking assignments, hot showers, and hamburger feed. Well done, VYC.

Overall winner of today's leg was OREO. Congrats, Garth!

sleddog
10-07-2012, 08:02 PM
Thanks to all who stopped by at Vallejo YC for a tour of WILDFLOWER. It was fun to meet you all!

We had a fun afternoon with excitement thrown in. After picking up guests at RYC, we sailed for our slip at Berkeley Marina. Wind in the slot was 18-20 knots. We sailed upwind with EYRIE for a bit and took some pics of Syn and Ellie looking good. Then cracked off on a reach for Berkeley.

Owen, from Marblehead, MA was driving and WILDFLOWER was truckin. The thrill meter (Velocitek) was consistently above 8, with bursts to 13. As we approached the Berkeley breakwater, Owen said he couldn't steer. WTF???

I looked over the stern. Our RudderCraft blade (HDPE/ high density polyethelyne) was broken off flush with the bottom of the cassette. We hadn't hit anything, as there was no noise or bang when it went away. We dropped sail, and motored in. No drama. But there are some questions to be posed to RudderCraft tomorrow, who claim less than 1% failure rate on 10,000 rudders sold.

sleddog
10-08-2012, 01:00 PM
As we crossed San Pablo Bay on Saturday, a sky writing plane was busy to the west, presumably over the City Front AC-45 races. Wow, I thought, they are honoring Stan Honey, who will be inducted into the Sailing Hall of Fame Oct. 14.

Indeed the smoke in the sky, which we were reading upside down and backwards, appeared to say "STAN HONEY." I thought this a cool way to honor Stan's contributions, but began to question my eyesight when the skywriter plane spelled out "GEICO."

It didn't take long to figure out what we were reading was "Save Money," not "Stan Honey."

Congratulations, anyway, Stan. You've earned your name in the sky.

Travieso
10-08-2012, 10:04 PM
Regarding the Pitt Special bi-plane working out with the Blue Angels yesterday. The Pitt is no ordinary plane. With 240 hp to hoist her 1200 pounds, she can climb at 3,000 feet/minute. http://www.aviataircraft.com/pitts.html I'm guessing the only SSS boat that could match that would be JETSTREAM with a JATO bottle. Daniel?

That might be a stretch even for the mighty JETSTREAM (though not so mighty on either Vallejo leg). Perhaps if we drop the bulb and stick in a double array of JATOs.

It was very cool checking out WILDFLOWER in Vallejo. So much in so little...

winefood
10-09-2012, 01:44 PM
Hey Skip,
It was great to see you and the new Wildflower. What a great boat! Your touch is unmistakeable. I cried when I read about the scuttling and was thrilled to see your comeback. Had no idea you would be in Valleho. Very disappointed to hear you won't be our neighbor at Brickyard. They weren't too nice about wasting your time. I hope you can find a slip nearby.

Fair Winds,
Larry

sleddog
10-11-2012, 07:53 AM
As some may already know, there is going to be a reunion of Santa Cruz built boats next Spring, May 24-June 2, 2013. It should be quite an event. If you own an Olson, Santa Cruz, Wilderness, WylieCat, Express, Moore, C&B, Aeolus, Hull Works, Banshee, Jester, SeaRunner, Marples, FrogCraft, WaterRat, Ballenger, or anything faintly connected to Santa Cruz designed and/or built, you will be welcomed.

To encourage participation, the Spinnaker Cup and the Windjammers will be feeder races. Wednesday will be the "Wood is Good" reunion.

If you haven't seen Bill Lee in his Merlin wizard costume, this will be the time. Mark it on your calendars.

http://madeinsantacruzraceweek.com

sleddog
10-11-2012, 05:27 PM
25% of the fleet racing to/from Vallejo last weekend were boats built in Santa Cruz. Most of these boats hark back to the ultra light revolution and local designers George Olson, Bill Lee, Carl Schmacher, Ron Moore, and others.

Before MERLIN there was RAGTIME. Before the Santa Cruz 27 there was MAGIC. Before the Moore 24 there was GRENDEL. Influences all on the Santa Cruz theme of "Fast is Fun."

But there is a special member of the SSS fleet that was racing last weekend racing to Vallejo. This 1956 design, a 30 footer, used to plane around the Gulf of the Farallones and SF Bay back in the 60's, driving local leadmine owners crazy. It easily outran a Cal-40, and regularly did so. When George Olson saw this boat, his creative mind went into overtime, and he went home to Santa Cruz and built GRENDEL, forerunner of the Moore 24.

I'm offering a ride on WILDFLOWER to the first of you who can name this historical boat, its designer, and construction. A hint might be that when its sailplan was submitted to a local sailmaker's computer for a new spinny, the computer smoked and output "Does Not Compute."

BobJ
10-11-2012, 06:15 PM
The Black Soo (Starbuck and Mirage)
Van deStadt
Plywood

... but I had no idea it was the boat that motivated Olson.


Does this mean I have to name my next boat MERLIN? No, my production-line J is hardly worthy to bear RAG's name. One of the Matson captains called on the radio one day to make sure I knew he was there. When I responded he asked if it was "THAT Ragtime." I sheepishly said "no."

BTW, some of those Matson guys raced many TransPacs in their day and get a kick out of what we're doing out there. One of the benefits of the SHTP is you get to chat with them once in awhile.

sleddog
10-13-2012, 08:47 AM
BobJ correctly answered the question posed above. The hard chined, plywood STARBUCK is not only the most historical and influential ultra-light in the Bay Area. But likely the most successful. She won at least 6 SSS Season Championships, numerous local races, as well as the 2000 SHTP. Not bad for a woodie that is now 45 years old.

BobJ
10-13-2012, 09:16 AM
A Black Soo indeed won seven singlehanded season championships. Not to take anything away from Greg Nelsen (who won a couple more SSS seasons with OUTSIDER) but

Ben Mewes won in 2007 and 2010 with MIRAGE. MIRAGE also has the distinction of having a honeymoon spent aboard (on the way to Hawaii in the Pacific Cup).

Greg won with STARBUCK in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, an amazing run. Stephen knows he has a heritage to maintain and he's working on the necessary mod's:

246

Dazzler
10-13-2012, 04:01 PM
Boy, miss a day and you miss out on one of Skip's trivia contests! Yes, I knew the answer. In 1969 I worked with Myron Spaulding measuring boats for IOR ratings. I remember well sailmaker Don Goring's 'Starbuck.' Don already had quite a winning reputation in MORA with his Gladiator. So, it was no surprise that Don had acquired this most unusual boat. We had Don's Starbuck at Myron's for measuring and I had the opportunity to explore the boat. One feature that made quite an impression on me was the inside tiller. Down below, and well forward of the rudder post was another tiller connected with two linkages. The idea was, with the cabin windows on three sides one could steer from below in tough conditions. What a radical concept! Yes, Starbuck made a lasting impression on an aspiring naval architect.

So, Ben, did Mirage have the inside tiller before you moved the rudder?

Tom

P.S. Bob, thanks for adding the BlackCat photo. What a great concept!

Critter
10-14-2012, 12:17 PM
I figured the answer was the Black Soo, but thanks Skip and Bob and Tom for filling in the history.

I've always wondered where the name Black Soo comes from. It sure doesn't sound Dutch. Anyone know?

Dazzler
10-14-2012, 11:02 PM
Max,
Based on research and not prior knowledge (so wide open to correction) here's what I think is the story:
There is a very interesting series of posts by John Guzzwell (yes, THAT John Guzzwell) with comments by Greg N. on SailingAnarchy. What I understand is that Cornelius (Kees) Bruynzeel, later of Stormvogel fame (also designed by v/d Stadt and winner of the 1967 TransPac) commissioned van der Stadt in 1955 to design 'Zeeslang,' and only one boat was allowed to be built to the plans. About a year later (first name?) Prout [in Cape Town] persuaded van der Stadt to design a boat he named 'Black Soo,' apparently very similar to Zeeslang, but narrower and with a smaller transom. This Van de Stadt design became known in Cape Town as the RCOD (Royal Cape One Design) and elsewhere as the "Black Soo" class.

In another Internet post I found:
I have a 1982 edition of the Van De Stadt Design catalogue. The "Black Soo" is not featured as a design that they were then still selling but is mentioned in the introduction in the History section. In the section reference is made to the many hard chine designs from Ricus van De Stadt and his collaboration with Mr C Bruynzeel, who was one of the first producers of marine plywwood. Bruynzeel was also an ocean racing skipper and a winner of the Fastnet race.

The section has a photo of a yacht, sail No. 1042, clipping along on a broad reach, two people in the cockpit, one other in the companionway, a dinghy tied down on the foredeck and on the transom the name "Black Soo R.C.Y.C.". This presumeably stands for 'Royal Capetown Yacht Club. The caption of the photo is Black Soo - designed 1960. The page goes on to say:

"Many designs from these years have now been replaced by newer versions, but some of them are still popular, like Zeeslang or Black Soo, a 30 feet (9.-m) overall boat, nearly 7 ft (2.1 m) wide, long, slim and slippery indeed! Bruynzeel took this yacht over to South Africa and the Capetown race committee adopted her as a Royal Cape One Design. These RCOD's are still active at the Cape today. She is still the fastest boat in relation to it's price in the world."

So, it seems the "class name" comes from one of the early variants of the design. None of this is absolutely clear, but maybe between Greg N, Ben M. and Steve B. we can get the complete story.

I've enjoyed this bit of research and hope that it adds some clarity.

Tom

sleddog
10-15-2012, 04:20 PM
I believe BLACK SOO's original owner was English, one Micheal Pruett, and he raced her in the 1957 Fastnet, one of the stormiest on record before 1979. In this Fastnet, 29 out of 41 entries retired, and the overall winner, Dick Nye's CARINA (USA) almost sank.

Nye used to encourage his crew by shouting at them, "Is every man a tiger?" They would answer back with a roar, "Grr...grr...grr..." At the end of this race he had more sympathy for them as they had pumped the yacht almost all the way round the 700 mile course. CARINA had fallen off a wave in the Needles Channel in Force 9 and cracked several frames to cause a severe leak. Once across the finishing line off the breakwater at Plymouth, Nye famously called out to his crew, "OK, boys, we're over now; let the damn boat sink!"

BLACK SOO's sail # was 1042. She was originally fractional rigged as shown in the photo to which Tom refers. But converted to mast head cutter by John Illingworth with a fully exposed upper batten, which qualified her for a gaff rigged handicap benefit. Illingworth's rig was derisively called a "gutter." In reality, this was an early version of the square top main.

The RCYC on BLACK SOO's transom likely refers to the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes, I.O.W., England, out of which she raced and cruised. She has spent her entire life in British Waters and currently resides in Ireland.

There has been some attention to BLACK SOO's name. As BLACK SOO's owner in the 1970's, Gerry Murtaugh, wrote in the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Assoc. Newsletter: "BLACK SOO is simply the Dutch spelling of the Dakota Indian Tribe which we pronounce in the same way, but spell as in the French 'Sioux.' "

So, apparently BLACK SOO was named after the Sioux Indian Tribe, famous for their long straight black hair and Custer's demise. It is interesting to note that BLACK SOO's near sister, Cornelius Bruynzeel's famous ZEESLANG, means "Sea Snake" in Dutch, while "Soo" in the native dialect of the Sioux Indians means "Little Snake." As clear as mud.

It was Bruynzeel's ZEESLANG, designed by Van deStandt, that led to the formation of the Royal Cape One Design (RCOD) in South Africa.

sleddog
10-15-2012, 05:21 PM
Hope to see you all at the Myron Spaulding Wooden Boat Center for an evening remembering Myron Spaulding's Legacy. I'll be sailing WILDFLOWER over from Berkeley Marina.

Proceeds go to the Wooden Boat Center, a really good cause. Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5 pm.

Highlights of the evening include: On-site cooked Paella, Margaritas, and other culinary treats "Jazz of the Sea," performed by the BOOKTET Quintet featuring trombone, and in homage to Myron Spaulding, violin

Guest of Honor and speaker, Commodore Tompkins

The premiere of John Korty's film "Myron Onward"

Silent auction of nautical treasures.

$75 Donation http://www.spauldingcenter.org/events/10-20-12.html

sleddog
10-19-2012, 08:34 AM
With carbon fiber debris still washing ashore, the volume of speculation is only exceeded by the reported Apparent Wind Speed of 58 knots when ORACLE's crew went over the handlebars.

58 knots of wind, 3 knots of ebb, no way to reef, ease or windvane the sail past 45 degrees, a 131 foot mast, and their local tactician John Kostecki on the E. Coast, the outcome was very much foregone IMO.

To see the wreckage going past Pt.Bonita at sunset was sobering indeed.

Now ARTEMIS is broken again, and they weren't even sailing. The crew of New Zealand's "Tractor" are concentrating on not becoming over confident. But things are currently looking good for them.

Wishing you all a good weekend dancin' with your baby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msvOqvBJLBw&feature=related

sleddog
10-21-2012, 04:04 PM
Last evening was a fun and well attended fund raising dinner at Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito. Many of Myron's designs were front and center, including NAUTIGAL and the stunning 28 footer ARETE, begun by Myron in 1958 and launched 48 years later.

The walls were oozing history. Tom and Sue from DAZZLER were at our table, and Tom reminisced about working for Myron, including the time the crane dropped the 45 footer ANNIE TOO. Myron was running the hoist, and somehow the controls got away. Luckily the boat dropped into the Bay, narrowly missing Tom on the dock.

Tom also explained the painted lines on the floor were from Myron's beautiful 45' yawl CHRYSOPYLE, and the angled hole in the floor under our table was a result of Myron's drilling CHRYSOPYLE's rudder post from under the shop back in 1961.

A highlight of the evening was seeing the oldest yacht on the West Coast, FREDA, rolled out. She just needs a lead keel cast, her rig restepped, some sails made, and she's good to go for another 127 years. Anyone wishing to donate to FREDA's restoration is urged to contact Andrea at the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center. It is a truly worthwhile project.

I'm sure Myron's and his many shop cats were in attendance last night, in spirit if not in body. As
Commodore said, Myron would have modestly wondered what all the fuss was about. But he would have been secretly tickled to see his shop filled with well wishers.

sleddog
10-21-2012, 07:37 PM
249 250 247 251 248

I'd forgotten what a fleet of dreams rides at anchor in Richardson Bay. Likely a third of the boats are semi-derelict, and with 40 miles of fetch to the SE, seem ripe to break loose in a good winter storm. On the outlier of the fleet is the red AGE of RUSSIA, a 75 foot America's Cup boat that never got off the ground. Around the corner is HYDROPTERE anchored off Corinthian. We circled her, trying to imagine sailing to Hawaii at 30 knots while steering from the very much exposed ama.

I picked up good friend Kim Desenberg at Brickyard, and we cruised the main down the Santa Fe Channel of Richmond Inner Harbor. Berthed at the commercial wharf was OCTOPUS, Paul Allen's 414 foot mega-yacht, homeported out of some small Caribbean island post office box. OCTOPUS's 67 foot tender is bigger than any vessel in Berkeley Marina or Brickyard. Did I mention the basket ball court on the aft deck?

It is interesting to remember that SF Bay was once connected to San Pablo Bay through Richmond. Point Richmond was an island until the marshes and sloughs east of the Chevron refinery were filled.

We threaded our way through no less than 50 Laser Radials, Optis, and El Toros being sailed by kids at Richmond Yacht Club. Even though the wind was light, everyone looked to be having fun. Certainly more smiles than across the Bay at Pier 80, Oracle's home base.

sleddog
10-23-2012, 10:49 AM
On our Sunday sailby up Richmond Inner Harbor, it was sad to hear from Kim that the big blue yawl ESCAPADE, for many years in storage at KKMI, would soon be chainsawed.

ESCAPADE, 75 years old this year, was a 72'6" yawl designed by Phil Rhodes and deemed "Queen of the Great Lakes" in her heyday before coming to the West Coast. At that time (1937), 73' was the max LOA allowed by CCA, and ESCAPADE, with a foretriangle base of 32', was truly a "maxi."
http://www.syescapade.com/

Her blue hull was so very pretty, and when ESCAPADE was matched up against the black hulled BARUNA and the blue hulled ORIENT, I'm sure even God stopped to watch.

These three beauties were entered in the 1955 TransPac. As a 10 year old spectator, my eyes were glued to the fleet from aboard our L-36. At the Transpac start, ESCAPADE short tacked up the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Near Portuguese Bend she came to an abrupt stop when her big bronze centerboard found an uncharted rock and was unhinged. (ESCAPADE drew 14 feet with the board down.)

To the crew's credit, they cut ESCAPADE's centerboard free and continued the race. We motored to the West End of Catalina to watch them come around. The 72 foot BARUNA was all business, her jet black S&S hull marching upwind in the fresh afternoon Westerly. ORIENT was a mile behind on port tack when a williwaw came down the Catalina hills just west of Arrow Point. With an audible crack, her varnished mast came down.

Without a centerboard for balance, ESCAPADE suffered in that TransPac, eventually stripping her steering gear. Even so, she finished only a hour behind BARUNA.

As a kid, these were impressionable times. It is fun to replay in mind's eye as if it was yesterday. Long live ESCAPADE.

sleddog
10-24-2012, 10:48 PM
The staff at Berkeley Marina, WILDFLOWER's current temporary base, have been most friendly and accommodating.

But when I tried to pay for next month, I had an unexpected encounter at the front desk. Cheryl said, "you're a Live Aboard, aren't you?" I said, "No, not at the moment. Only spending weekends aboard." "Why do you ask?"

Cheryl said, "because you have a spice rack, and only Live Aboards would have a spice rack."

I scratched my head over that. :)

BobJ
10-24-2012, 11:28 PM
That's post #222 for you Skip, so time for a couple of remembrances . . .

Seeing her for the first time at Marina Village, and how comfortable you looked on that big cushion (a beanbag now that I think about it) in the back corner of her cockpit where you'd spent thousands of hours and miles.

After those first 2-3 days of the 2008 race, seeing you off to port. I thought "I must be going the right way" but then realized if I could see you that far into the race, I was kinda screwed (on corrected time).

Seeing you hiking out on the rail while single-handed. That set an example for me and I got an AP remote so I could do that.

Did she have a spice rack?

sleddog
10-25-2012, 09:42 AM
When I launched WILDFLOWER back in 1975, I bought an old Cal 28 main for $25. The sail was too long on the boom, so we cut off about 2 feet of leach from clew to head. That removed the 18 from the sail number 18222, and 222 became the boat's (lucky) number.

That original main was built of yarn temper dacron cloth, which was golden brown. Blackaller, who was working for North Sails at the time, sees my main and shouts in his unique high pitched voice, "Where did you get the kevlar main?? How did you do that??" (Kevlar mains were just coming on the scene back in those days, very expensive, and looked golden with a sun backdrop.) I played coy, letting him think we had something special and "hi-tech." It was always fun to psyche Tom.

Attached photo from my 1978 SHTP Log shows that original main and sail #222 on WILDFLOWER. The photo was taken by Norton Smith, winner of the first SHTP. I kept a detailed log then (and now) as all navigation was DR and celestial and I had nothing but a Walker taffrail log and sextant. Big fish ate all my Walker log bronze spinners, so I'd estimate my speed for every 2 hour log entry.

At the time, WILDFLOWER had minimum electronics, but a big old ZENITH High Seas all band radio. It took 9 C cell batteries to operate, and the handle became the extendable antenna, telescoping to six feet. That radio lived in a 6" x 14" Bruynzeel plywood box bolted on the aft bulkhead above my bunk. In the '78 SHTP it picked up KGO and Iowa Christian radio stations real good. But that was about all. I didn't know if I was winning or losing until I came around the corner at Hanalei and saw only one racer's mast: Norton Smith's SC-27 SOLITAIRE.

When the radio died, that box became the spice rack over the galley, and held all the yummies including the jar of P-nut butter and pickle relish. Sorry for the longwinded explanation, but BobJ asked. I'm a story teller at heart.

sleddog
10-26-2012, 08:06 AM
One of the Matson captains called on the radio one day to make sure I knew he was there. When I responded he asked if it was "THAT Ragtime." I sheepishly said "no."

BTW, some of those Matson guys raced many TransPacs in their day and get a kick out of what we're doing out there. One of the benefits of the SHTP is you get to chat with them once in awhile.

BobJ mentioned "the Matson guys." I might add that many of Matson's captains and crew, past and present, are small boat sailors, graduates of Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo, and have carved grooves in the Pacific between the W. Coast and Hawaii. We are talking hundreds of thousands of miles of ocean experience.

The Matson crews and the SF Bar Pilots are friends of SSS (most recently the evacuation of BELA BARTOK by the MOKIHANA). These guys are pros, know their stuff, and deserve thanks for their support over the years. I'm guessing some of them visit here. If you have any questions or comments about what it's like doing multiple "Transpacs" aboard a Matson ship, would suggest you post in the blind here, and some Matson veteran or Bar Pilot will likely come up.

sleddog
10-29-2012, 09:46 AM
End of the season Great Pumpkin Regatta at Richmond YC was a fun and well attended affair with 23 classes on three separate start lines, Saturday's weather was exceptional, clear with SW winds 6 knots, building to 16-18, for the third race.

I crewed on the WylieCat 30 DAZZLER with Tom and Sue. With nine WylieCats on the line, jockeying for position upwind and down highlighted the short windward/leeward/windward courses. It was a learning experience for me. The WylieCats have powerful mains, capable of being tweeked to optimum shape. The mains are more like genoas, and you sheet the wishbone over the transom corner.

The WylieCats all have slightly different configurations. Outboards, inboards, no engines. Folding props, feathering props. Dacron mains, carbon mains, square top mains. Dry sailed, wet sailed. Though it was clear SILKYE and UNO are the bench marks of the class, the boats are very similar in speed and time afloat "shifting gears" is a key ingredient in getting up to speed.

Through the whole afternoon I had much fun, with two memorable moments. The first was seeing BANDICOOT going upwind and crossing tacks with UNO, with Al sailing singlehanded and steering BANDICOOT from the cockpit seat. UNO had four big boys on the rail. Gotta love that.

The other visual was being in the middle of seven WylieCats coming into the leeward mark together during the second race. The wind was 15 knots, and with 24' wishbone booms, the side to side "footprint" of these boats is about 40' from port jibe to starboard. Being on the outside at the turn definitely puts you in the slow lane. There was some animated discussion, some creative boat handling. But in the end everyone got around the pinwheel with no contact.

Thanks, Tom and Sue, for a memorable afternoon!

AlanH
10-29-2012, 08:07 PM
On our Sunday sailby up Richmond Inner Harbor, it was sad to hear from Kim that the big blue yawl ESCAPADE, for many years in storage at KKMI, would soon be chainsawed.

ESCAPADE, 75 years old this year, was a 72'6" yawl designed by Phil Rhodes and deemed "Queen of the Great Lakes" in her heyday before coming to the West Coast. At that time (1937), 73' was the max LOA allowed by CCA, and ESCAPADE, with a foretriangle base of 32', was truly a "maxi."
http://www.syescapade.com/

Her blue hull was so very pretty, and when ESCAPADE was matched up against the black hulled BARUNA and the blue hulled ORIENT, I'm sure even God stopped to watch.

These three beauties were entered in the 1955 TransPac. As a 10 year old spectator, my eyes were glued to the fleet from aboard our L-36. At the Transpac start, ESCAPADE short tacked up the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Near Portuguese Bend she came to an abrupt stop when her big bronze centerboard found an uncharted rock and was unhinged. (ESCAPADE drew 14 feet with the board down.)

To the crew's credit, they cut ESCAPADE's centerboard free and continued the race. We motored to the West End of Catalina to watch them come around. The 72 foot BARUNA was all business, her jet black S&S hull marching upwind in the fresh afternoon Westerly. ORIENT was a mile behind on port tack when a williwaw came down the Catalina hills just west of Arrow Point. With an audible crack, her varnished mast came down.

Without a centerboard for balance, ESCAPADE suffered in that TransPac, eventually stripping her steering gear. Even so, she finished only a hour behind BARUNA.

As a kid, these were impressionable times. It is fun to replay in mind's eye as if it was yesterday. Long live ESCAPADE.

Great Story, Skip....

AlanH
10-29-2012, 08:15 PM
When I launched WILDFLOWER back in 1975, I bought an old Cal 28 main for $25. The sail was too long on the boom, so we cut off about 2 feet of leach from clew to head. That removed the 18 from the sail number 18222, and 222 became the boat's (lucky) number.

That original main was built of yarn temper dacron cloth, which was golden brown. Blackaller, who was working for North Sails at the time, sees my main and shouts in his unique high pitched voice, "Where did you get the kevlar main?? How did you do that??" (Kevlar mains were just coming on the scene back in those days, very expensive, and looked golden with a sun backdrop.) I played coy, letting him think we had something special and "hi-tech." It was always fun to psyche Tom.

Attached photo from my 1978 SHTP Log shows that original main and sail #222 on WILDFLOWER. The photo was taken by Norton Smith, winner of the first SHTP. I kept a detailed log then (and now) as all navigation was DR and celestial and I had nothing but a Walker taffrail log and sextant. Big fish ate all my Walker log bronze spinners, so I'd estimate my speed for every 2 hour log entry.

At the time, WILDFLOWER had minimum electronics, but a big old ZENITH High Seas all band radio. It took 9 C cell batteries to operate, and the handle became the extendable antenna, telescoping to six feet. That radio lived in a 6" x 14" Bruynzeel plywood box bolted on the aft bulkhead above my bunk. In the '78 SHTP it picked up KGO and Iowa Christian radio stations real good. But that was about all. I didn't know if I was winning or losing until I came around the corner at Hanalei and saw only one racer's mast: Norton Smith's SC-27 SOLITAIRE.

When the radio died, that box became the spice rack over the galley, and held all the yummies including the jar of P-nut butter and pickle relish. Sorry for the longwinded explanation, but BobJ asked. I'm a story teller at heart.

Love it! ...feel free to write more like this, any time!

sleddog
10-29-2012, 09:43 PM
In 1961 Myron Spaulding launched a 45 foot yawl of his design for Dean Morrison. She was called "CHRYSOPYLE."
I always wondered what that meant (kris-sop-i-lee).

According to legend, the original name of the Golden Gate was "Yulupa," the Coast Miwok Indian name for the sparkle of sun on water.

Also according to legend, one late afternoon in 1846, John C. Fremont climbed the East Bay hills. Gazing to the west, this early California explorer and promoter saw the setting sun turn the Bay entrance to gold and named it "Chrysopylae" which means "Golden Gate" in Greek. Thanks to Fremont "Chrysopylae" appeared on official government maps, beginning in 1848.

The name became prophetic and iconic. Within three years, a flood of humanity was pouring through Fremont's "Golden Gate", lured by the promise of gold. The Gold Rush added another layer of meaning to the straits approaching San Francisco Bay.

When the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, she was painted International Orange, as close to gold as you can get in a paint formulated to protect the Bridge from rusting in local fog.

sleddog
10-30-2012, 11:56 AM
It is hard to not be saddened by the loss of the tallship BOUNTY with probable loss of two lives including her captain. That the Coast Guard was able to rescue 14 crew is dramatic and heroic.

I followed the BOUNTY, ever since sneaking aboard one night in the mid-60's, climbing her rigging, and walking her deserted decks. She was then a tourist attraction in St.Pete, FLA after actor Marlon Brando had saved her from being torched by MGM in filming the final scene of Mutiny On The Bounty.

BOUNTY had many lives. Friends served aboard her. The son of one had his hand blown off firing one of her cannons. Another remembers " My trip up the coast on the BOUNTY in 1990 didn't inspire a lot of confidence in her weatherly abilities. Heck, we couldn't get around Cape Blanco in the afternoon North Westerly's, even with the hammer down on both Cat diesels. Port Orford became a harbor of refuge overnight & we left early AM with the fish boats. I had Fletcher Christian's stateroom & could feel the vibes...! The steering wheel was from the Clark Gable/Charles Laughton movie..."

Tall ships are becoming fewer and fewer. BOUNTY's epitaph was eloquently penned yesterday by Jake Beattie, Executive Director of the NW Maritime Center. Jake wrote:

"The Bounty that sank yesterday was my first ship. In '98 and '99 I was a $50 a week deckhand turned engineer, turned first mate. I was the last First Mate before the Bounty left Fall River, and the last time the Bounty tried to sink off of Hatteras I was in the engine room up to my chest in bilge water, rebuilding pumps to buy us time until the Coast Guard arrived. We were luckier that day."

"I was there for the '99 season, the Bad News Bears season, full of some of the best people I have ever met. I fell in love, fell in love again, and in the end fell in love with power of the sea as a way to educate people, transform them into the confident and capable people they always were. What I do today I do because of what I was a part of on Bounty, because Robin Walbridge helped me see it. I’m not alone. People from the '99 crew- just one year of many Robin helped along- have become captains and pilots, USCG officers, educators and executives. And even though doing the math I am shocked to learn that it was 14 years ago when I stepped aboard I still feel closer to that crew than most other folks I have met since."

"When I Ieft Bounty we were out of money for payroll, out of money for Bondo and duct tape. After downrigging the lowers with a skeleton crew of 4 people too stubborn to leave, the last thing I did in the winter of '99 was to put the bilge pumps on a timer, install a lock on the companionway, and walk away with tears in my eyes. I’ve got them again. Rest in peace Bounty."

Bob Buell
10-30-2012, 10:21 PM
BobJ/Ragtime needs to hear from me, as I'm one of Matson skippers who sailed many Transpacs, and my last one was on the famous "Ragtime" in 1983, as navigator.
It was the 64 ft sled that started it all in SoCal as the ultra-lite from NZ. We hit speed of 29 kts on speedo surfing off Molokai in that race, and had 2 America's Cup sailors on crew,
but then broke the steering cable on next wave, and did a Chinese gybe, over 90 degress with pole in water, not good way to finish my last Transpac race !!
Got that fixed with spare cable and reset kite for the Molokai Channel and finish line...

My Matson career had many Diamond Head finishes, as that is where we take "arrival" on the ships, and start slowing to Maneuvering speeds off Waikiki for the pilot to board.
Thru the years I've spoke with many racers, incl "Haulback" while he was winning the SHTP. I sailed with Matson for 35 yrs, and now retired on N Shore of Oahu.
I met Skip "Sleddog" Allan in Hanalei in '78 after he got 2nd in inaugural race, we were anchored next to him on our L-36, as we lived on Oahu and cruised to Hanalei often.
Skip has remained a close friend, and we have passed himtoo at sea when he was taking his Wildflower back from Hanalei once, we always kept a Ham radio sked daily.

I was never a Singlehander, but sailed and raced yachts my entire life, my dad died while singlehanding his Santana 22, so I stuck with crewed boats...Aloha, Capt Bob/Haleiwa

AlanH
10-31-2012, 12:44 PM
Good to hear from you, Capt. Bob! If you're allergic to singlehanding, I bet anything we can find a boat you can double-up on, for a few of our local races, though!

sleddog
11-02-2012, 12:03 PM
Somedays we are blessed to look in the rear view mirror and see we are being overtaken by the future. Sunday aboard the Islander 36 MOON PEARL was such a day. At 2:30 pm, as we were sailing close-hauled from Alcatraz towards Sausalito, out from under Belvedere Peninsula came an apparition: the French foiling trimaran L'HYDROPTERE.

HYDROPTERE was being towed towards Yellow Bluff for takeoff. I guessed she'd aim for Aquatic Park on starboard tack. We set up MOON PEARL on a starboard reach, north of St.FYC, west of Alcatraz.

HYDROPTERE's monster main was set and trimmed when she bore off and unfurled the jib. Holy Batman, errr Mon Dieu! At 30 seconds, like a giant water walker insect, she began to emerge from the water onto her foils. At one minute, her main aka (hull) became fully airborne.

At about 1 minute, 30 seconds she passed 50 yards to leeward, close enough to imagine her crew grinning. How fast? Hard to guess, but the True Wind was 17-18 knots and HYDROPTERE's website says she goes 2x the windspeed. 35 knots? Pedestrian to HYDROPTERE. She has already hit 56 knots.

Three things were apparent as she blew by to leeward. leaving a wake of aerated spume. The boat is much wider (79') than she is long (60'). When she is up on foils, her crew riding the windward crossbeam and ama (windward hull) are high above the water, maybe 12-15'. And she leaves little wake.

It took HYDROPTERE seemingly less than two minutes to go from half mile astern to half mile ahead. I wasn't watching my watch. Just an amazing sailing machine, the fastest sailing boat in the world.
http://hydroptere.com/en/home/

sleddog
11-06-2012, 03:39 PM
Me thinks SPARKY has talent beyond belief creating videos that capture the essence of the subject at hand. If you haven't joined Ruben aboard the Moore24 RUSHMORE in this summer's SHTP, grab a cold drink and go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9iPLKpwPyo

Equally to the point is Ruben's video of the gang descending on Bill's Ericson 35 ERGO for an afternoon of boat cleaning fun. I about fell off the dock laughing when, after we had unloaded ERGO, BobJ says to Bill on the speaker phone, "Uh, Bill? Your boat was an Islander 36 wasn't it?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS_RJS8tt3g

Sailing SF Bay is always a treat, because there are so many variables to consider. The tide books are often wrong, the wind more or less than planned, the changing vistas spectacular. Yesterday, except for a few sails in the distance and a couple of high speed ferries, the Bay was deserted, much like Ayala must have seen in August, 1775 (give or take a skyscraper or two.) ;-)

WILDFLOWER was meant to be sailing, not tied to the dock. We shoved off about 1 pm for a cool off. With high pressure overhead and offshore gradient, November heat records were being broken in many places.

The surprise was finding a nice 5-10 knot northerly blowing down the San Pablo Channel from the Richmond/San Raphael Bridge towards the Bay Bridge. Under main and genoa, we starboared tack reached from Berkeley Marina towards Raccoon Straits, doing a flyby into Ayala Cove. All was quiet there with only half a dozen boats tied up.

From Ayala it was a the flat water reach over towards Tiburon. We did a couple of circles around L'HYDROPTERE moored off CYC. On close inspection it looked like her foils retract and were "stowed" horizontally under the cross beams.

The warm wind was blowing out of Richardson Bay. The starboard tack reach continued to the GG Bridge, where we jibed ship for the port tack reach home back to Berkeley. We were going 6-8 knots and got to the breakwater as the East Bay hills came alight with windows reflecting the sun, setting astern over the Golden Gate. I dialed Maui 940 AM "All Traditional Hawaiian All The Time" and Gabby Pahanui's voice came from the speakers. http://www.am940hawaii.com/

It isn't Hanalei. It's SF Bay, and can be a pretty nice place to sail in November.
.

sleddog
11-07-2012, 12:48 PM
You hopefully got to see Ruben's RUSHMOORE surfing to Hanalei with no one at the helm.

Here is the other end of the spectrum: The fully crewed Santa Cruz 70 OEX surfing to Cabo in last April's Corona del Mar to Cabo San Lucas Race. For reference, the true wind is 26-32 knots and the boat is averaging 16.6 knots. The driver, pro-sailor Benny Mitchell, is one of the best in the business. Note the hatchboards are in place. And the smooth and minimal wheel movement, much appreciated by the boys below in their bunks. At 20 knots if you jerk the wheel, things begin to fly about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyS2slzBTTo&feature=plcp

BobJ
11-07-2012, 01:52 PM
Well you did say "averaging" 16.6 - but you had my 30-footer going faster than that on the way to Monterey last year.

I still get a grin thinking about that ride!

sleddog
11-07-2012, 07:08 PM
The navigator of OEX in the above video just advised they were averaging 20.6 knots, not 16.6 as reported earlier.

I have vivid memories of racing onboard BobJ's RAGTIME as we ran into Monterey Bay, at night, in 25 knots of wind. And successfully jibed as we flew past another racer that was spun out and on its side. Thanks, Bob!

sleddog
11-07-2012, 09:33 PM
A bunch of us sailors were sitting around, watching last evening's election returns. I mentioned WILDFLOWER was at Berkeley Marina and how shoal the nearby mudflats were at low tide. There's even the “Berkeley Reef,” a sandbar that reveals only on minus tides, providing an island for fleet wedding parties wearing gumboots.

Joe reminded me how he grew up in Berkeley, and how in the 50's he and friend Jeff would hang out on the local mudflats nearby to the Albany dumps (now the Albany Bulb East Shore State Park). As 10 year olds, they were aspiring taxidermists and hunted Bay rats using “mud shoes” and Whamo slingshots. For ammo they dug .38 caliber slugs from the local police firing range.

The “mudshoes” were simply four feet of 2x6 with a one foot of 2x4 nailed on top and an old pair of shoes nailed to the 2x4s. They drilled holes through the 2x6 “shoes” to help break the suction, and roamed the mudflats.

One day, well out on the Flats, Joe and Jeff got themselves a large rat, “dead but not quite.” But the incoming tide caught them and they couldn't break the suction and had to abandon the mudshoes and return barefooted.

“The rat we took home and put out of its misery with a deadly combination of pesticides from Jeff's dad's garden shed and food from the kitchen, and were able to send it to off to happy rat Nirvana. Our subsequent dissection and stuffing left a lot to be desired and the final product looked more like a genetic combination of an Armadillo and a Warthog that someone had inflated with a tire pump.”

“It probably was not such a brilliant idea to place it in the desk of a girl I never really cared for in high school,” mused Joe.

Local archeologists and historians take note: there may be strange shoes out “there.”

Jeff is now one of the country's most respected wildlife photographers. http://www.jfoottphotography.com/index.php

sleddog
11-09-2012, 10:44 PM
It's great to see our friend Jim Kellam (HAULBACK) honeymooning with his bride Janet on the Baja Ha Ha. Congrats, Jim and Janet!
http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2012-11-09#.UJ3osYboqSo

Libations Too
11-11-2012, 07:46 PM
Hi Skip, it was great to see you on the Bay today! My wife Anne took these photos...

264 265 263 267

sleddog
11-11-2012, 10:24 PM
Anne and Richard,

Thanks for the photos! It's fun to see what one's boat looks like from an off the boat perspective. The last three photos have us head to wind as we attempt to roll up the loose luffed genoa in favor of our small jib that hanks on the headstay. It was a nce day on the Bay. Winds veered NW at 6-12 knots, with a strong ebb. We set the spinny running back from Pt. Blunt. A couple of harbor porpoise appeared.

I was talking with neighbor Bill aboard his Corsair 31 tri EMMA. Interesting to hear he didn't start sailing until age 70. Bill says his Vivid bottom paint ablates nicely at 17 knots boat speed. I wish.

EMMA races with a BAMA rating of 60. He doesn't carry a spinnaker because they ding him 54 seconds/mile, to 6. Makes sense to me.

sleddog
11-12-2012, 09:21 PM
Though I'm not one for video games, I had to see what the shouting was about. Parallel to the start of the Vendee Globe singlehanded race around the world non-stop is the Virtual Vendee Race. I registered, and noted I was "racing" against 242,000 mostly French.

The Virtual Vendee is free to enter. But, you quickly learn, it is seductive and costs to be competitive. Up to 20 Euros buys you an auto pilot, a crew that automatically changes to the right sails at the right time, a routing system, and a full suit of "Pro" sails covering all wind angles. Without these extras, you are like me, sailing with one hand tied behind your back, one jib, one spinny, and have to rely on the wind forecasts to set your boat up in the right place on the right course. Even more fun is waking up at night, find you have been passed by 20,000 "boats," and that due to a windshift, you are now sailing downwind with your jib up. Or upwind with your spinny up. This is slow, and why I find myself currently, off the coast of Portugal, some 220 miles behind the leaders.

The Virtual Race is pretty darn realistic, and lets you also race against the remaining 18 competitors on the water. I represent SAFRAN, but fortunately my virtual keel did not fall off like the real SAFRAN's titanium keel did a few hours after the start. Also, I can jibe with one click of the keyboard, while those boys(and one girl) spend up to half an hour pulling a jibe off.

You quickly learn that downwind, the best Wind Angle is 140-145 degrees anytime the wind is over 15 knots. The Virtual Fleet is splitting right now: about 100,000 are heading west into a low, while another 100,000 are running down the coast, headed for Africa. Many did not exit the Bay of Biscay, and ran aground instead. Nope, there is no Virtual Vessel Assist.

The French take their sailing pretty seriously. The first Yank is in 2,464 position. My virtual boat, "SLEDCAT" currently lies in 68,040 position, making 14.1 knots in 17.3 knots of wind on the port jibe. If anyone else is "racing," would love to hear your comments. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/

sleddog
11-13-2012, 06:43 PM
62 knots. The new top speed for a sailboat, set Monday by Vestas Sail Rocket 2 in Namibia. Its record run spooked the flamingos right off the beach.

Pretty cool boat, if that's what it is. Part windsurfer, part hydrofoil dragster, with a wing mast. Note to self: this is a one way craft, and must be towed back to the start line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dokkkqBcyPQ&feature=share&list=UUcoYIGpTo2WCjyPkG0WvO2w

AlanH
11-14-2012, 02:08 PM
62 knots. The new top speed for a sailboat, set Monday by Vestas Sail Rocket 2 in Namibia. Its record run spooked the flamingos right off the beach.

Pretty cool boat, if that's what it is. Part windsurfer, part hyrdofoil dragster, with a wing mast. Note to self: this is a one way craft, and must be towed back to the start line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dokkkqBcyPQ&feature=share&list=UUcoYIGpTo2WCjyPkG0WvO2w

One of my now-out-of-touch CrossPac organizer friends is partners in a similar
Aussie craft that does runs in MacQuarie Bay. The video is pretty amazing, they've been up to 55+ knots.

sleddog
11-14-2012, 11:00 PM
Since 1874 there's been a railroad from Watsonville running 33 miles up the coast to Davenport. Twice a day, three times per week a train would slowly chug along the prettiest section of coast imaginable, along the coastal bluffs, above the beaches, and through farmland. All the way to the end of the line at the cement plant at Davenport. Just offshore, north of Natural Bridges, the afternoon northwester would kick up whitecaps. And surf would thunder against the cliffs.

Back when he was a kid, my friend Jimmy would pick up his girlfriend on a Saturday afternoon and they'd drive to the west side of town where the artichoke fields begin. There, Jimmy would partially deflate his tires and drive his '56 Chevy onto the train tracks. With a brick placed against the accelerator, Jimmy and his girl would get in the back seat with a six pack of beer and enjoy the ride along the deserted tracks all the way to the end of the line.

Jimmy's voyages gave me an idea. The NW winds blow with regularity, often reaching gale force on a spring afternoon. Why not build a boat that would sail downwind on the railroad tracks, a boat that was easily portable, and could be ditched off the tracks, especially important if an oncoming train was sighted in the distance?.

I sketched the design, collected the materials, and set to work. A 4 x 6 piece of plywood, some 2x4's, eight recycled skateboard wheels, an old El Toro mast and sail, and a couple of lawn chairs. Should be good, I thought, as I screwed the wheels to the plywood platform in an angled position so my ship would stay on track. The whole thing didn't weigh more than 30 pounds, I called it "Railer Sailor."

Unfortunately, my first voyage was also the last. I carried the Railer Sailor to the tracks and set it in place. I pushed off, not very hard, and climbed aboard. Wow, those skateboard wheels are really friction free, I thought, as we took off down the tracks at a good clip.

I don't know how fast Railer Sailor was going, maybe 25, when I sighted the gravel mound piled between the tracks up ahead. I had just enough time to think that some sort of brakes would be needed on version 2 when we hit the gravel. Railer Sailor came to an instant stop, and I kept going.

Today, Railer Sailor sits in the garage, awaiting redesign. I'll bet L'HYDROPTERE and Vestas Sail Rocket didn't fly the first time either.

BobJ
11-15-2012, 12:08 AM
How did we survive our youth? I hope you don't mind Sled, but your story reminded me of another involving sailing, trains (and risk).

Before it was the Fortman Marina it was the Alameda Yacht Harbor. If you've driven in there, you know you have to cross tracks that run parallel to Buena Vista Avenue and along the brick warehouse facing the street. Back then the tracks were active.

I kept a Chrysler 22 there at AYH - a miserable little boat that sailed poorly but I didn't realize that then, and besides, the hull was blue.

I was in a hurry one afternoon as I drove out of AYH and hardly slowed before crossing the tracks, ending up stopped on them. At that moment a switch engine pulling a few boxcars emerged from behind the end of the warehouse. He was moving too fast to stop. With Buena Vista Ave full of traffic in both directions I had nowhere to go, and past experience suggested that if I jammed the car into reverse it would probably stall. I ended up spinning the car 90 degrees and parking it on the sidewalk just clear of the tracks. The engineer engaged his emergency brakes and once stopped (well down the tracks), he leaned out the cab window and glared at me for awhile. No words were spoken.

There's a similar story involving a dark night at the Alameda Marina, a friend's borrowed Honda 90, a log in the shadows and the hard corner of a sailboat trailer. Your comment that you "kept going" reminded me of that one. That was also the marina where my older sister and my friend Rick got their braces stuck together while aboard a Columbia 50 . . .

AlanH
11-19-2012, 06:00 PM
The two best posts, EVER.

Critter
11-19-2012, 06:54 PM
Good lord, I've led a sheltered life.

sleddog
11-20-2012, 02:09 AM
Back when I was working at Wylie Design and building the first WILDFLOWER, we used to hop the slow moving train BobJ mentions and ride it down to Mexicali Rose for Friday lunch. Later, I lived aboard WILDFLOWER at Alameda Yacht Harbor. AYH was a bit rustic, and abused by its owners, the Del Monte Corp, which owned the long brick cannery on Buena Vista.

The Estuary wasn't nearly as clean then. Just up the road, east of what is now Marina Village and Encinal Yacht Club, were docks for cargo ships and freighters. These ships would blow their stacks daily, leaving a layer of black soot on everything downwind, as far as Svendsens and Coast Guard Island (which was actually part of Alameda.)

You remember Alameda Naval Air Station and the jets taking off and landing? (sometimes into the water.) The smell of aviation jet fuel (kerosene) would drift downwind on the afternoon westerly. I was working as a fiberglaser at Tom Wylie's, on the corner of Clement and Willow. I reckoned I wasn't living too healthy of a life style when one hot afternoon my co-worker, Harlan, passed out face first into the wet fiberglas inside the Hawk Farm mold.

One late Friday night an alarm horn in the parking lot of Alameda Yacht Harbor started blowing. I put in my earplugs, and tried to sleep. The next morning I went up to the parking lot. Holy shit. The parking lot, and about 25 cars, was submerged in corn syrup up to the car windows. Del Monte had three big tank silos adjacent to the AYH parking lot, next to their fruit cocktail cannery, and one had sprung a leak.

I made some calls on the Harbor pay phone. Nobody wanted to take responsibility. The Alameda police came and went. Said it was private property and not their business. I tried to call the president of Del Monte at his home in Pebble Beach. But he wasn't picking up.

Come Monday, the alarm horn was still blowing. The 4' deep pool of liquid corn syrup had congealed, and the cars were sitting stranded in a Jello lake. Most of these cars were owned by fellow sailors who had left on their boats for the weekend....surprise!

I gave my notice to Tom, hoisted sail on WILDFLOWER, and sailed to Santa Cruz. But that's another story.

sleddog
11-20-2012, 07:29 AM
Yesterday, after Richie's retirement party at RYC on Sunday afternoon, I sailed from Brickyard back to Berkeley. I cast off before sunrise to a nice southerly breeze of 15 knots. The Estuary container cranes in the distance were reflecting gold. I was glad not to be off the Oregon Coast, where the same southerly was gusting 59 knots at Newport and Coos Bay, and 49 knots at Crescent City. A bit of breeze that was tipping over 18 wheel trucks on the Astoria Bridge.

It didn't take long to sail the six miles back to Berkeley closehauled on starboard. With a cup of coffee in hand, I marveled how we were the only boat in sight that was underway. An empty Bay. My thoughts were of ERGO, and how Bill would be smiling to be aboard at this moment.

I recall the poetry some of us wrote before and during the '08 SHTP: As Garrison Keilor would say: "Here's a poem by Ogden Nash, the first stanza of "Pretty Halcyon Days..."

With ocean galore within reach,
And nothing at all to be done:
No letters to answer,
No bills to be burned,
No work to be shirked,
No cash to be earned,
It is pleasant to sit on the boat
With nothing to do but to float.
How pleasant to look at the ocean,
Democratic and damp; indiscriminate;
It fills me with noble emotion
To think I am able to swim in it.
To lave in the wave,
Majestic and chilly,
Tomorrow I crave;
But today it is silly.
It is pleasant to sail on the ocean;
Tomorrow, perhaps, I shall swim in it.

Ergo
11-21-2012, 04:29 AM
Yep. Skip, I was smiling just reading about your solitary sail. Races are fun, sometimes, but the best, for me, was being out, early or late, and being the only boat in sight. Actually, I experienced that in quite a few races also and not because I was ahead. I enjoy your posts about growing up in the East Bay as a young sailor. I've talked to Tom W about his memories of the same time period. I really Like the line "Democratic and damp; indiscriminate;".

sleddog
11-21-2012, 07:11 AM
In 2002, on her sixth passage to Hawaii, WILDFLOWER came up winner of the Pacific Cup. I was fortunate to have long time family friend Tad Palmer as double-handed crew. Tad and I knew each other from way back. He was boat captain on SHENANDOAH, sister to IMP. We did a lot of SORC's and Big Boat Series on those boats, invariably nipping at each other's transoms.

Tad got engaged at the finish of the '02 Pac Cup, and he and Shannon have two beautiful kids. Tad now works for Matson, and was Chief Mate on MATSONIA when they came down the Estuary a few days ago. Tad rented a car, and in a break from work, came over to Berkeley Marina to visit aboard WILDFLOWER. It is always fun to catch up with sailing friends....

Tad Palmer's family figures in little known, short handed, small boat voyages to high latitudes. Capt. Nathaniel Palmer, Tad's great, great uncle, of Stonington Connecticut, began sailing at a young age. In the early 1800's, Antarctic Ocean seal skins were highly prized for trade with China. Nathaniel Palmer and his brother Alexander (Tad's great, great grandfather) were young, skilled and fearless seal hunters. Nat Palmer had his first command at age 19, the little sloop (47') HERO.

In 1820, Capt. Palmer sailed HERO south, searching for new seal rookeries south of Cape Horn. At this time no one knew there was land south of Cape Horn. It was during this voyage of exploration, across the notorious Drake Passage, that Palmer became the first American to discover the Antarctic Peninsula and South Orkney Island archipelago. One can only imagine the ferocious weather encountered. Today, that part of Antarctica bears Tad's family name: Palmer Peninsula. Shackleton landed there 100 years later, on his epic retreat after losing ENDURANCE to the ice.

After their sealing careers, Nathaniel and Alexander Palmer took to sailing fast square riggers for delivery of express cargo. Over many years on the world's oceans, the Palmers designed improvements to their ships, and are recognized as co-developers of the legendary "Clipper Ship." At the end of his career, Nat Palmer owned a fleet of clipper ships.

Captain Nathaniel Palmer died in 1877 at age 77, Alexander in 1894. The Palmer family home at Pine Point in Stonington is now a National Historic Landmark. Wooden Ships. Iron Men. A fine legacy.
http://www.stoningtonhistory.org/palmer.htm

BobJ
11-21-2012, 11:30 AM
The Alameda police came and went.

Was WILDFLOWER built in the same building where Kim D. had North Coast Yachts?

Regarding the Alameda PD, I once broke into an officer's house. Not just any officer - the Chief of Police. If I leave out enough details I might get away with posting about that.

sleddog
11-21-2012, 11:57 AM
Was WILDFLOWER built in the same building where Kim D. had North Coast Yachts?

Regarding the Alameda PD, I once broke into an officer's house. Not just any officer - the Chief of Police. If I leave out enough details I might get away with posting about that.

To BobJ: You did what???

WILDFLOWER was not built in the North Coast Yachts building. But directly across the alleyway at what became Railmakers. A lot of boats were built in there when it was Wylie Design Group. Sometime in about 1976, Kim quit his job with the railroad and came to work at Wylie Design. His first job was to put up fireproof sheet rock on the back wall to satisfy the Alameda Fire Dept.

Kim was on a stepladder using a nail gun, while I held the sheet rock from below. At some point I noticed sticky liquid dripping from the recently set nails. I remarked on this to Kim. We went around the outside of the building to the Del Monte warehouse next door. There were cans of fruit cocktail stacked from floor to ceiling. It turns out the nails from the nail gun were puncturing fruit cocktail cans on the otherside of our adjoining wall. . Good times.

During the summer of '75 I was living in WILDFLOWER at the shop. What was unusual was the boat was upside down so that with gravity assist, we could more easily mount the skeg. I would sleep on the inside of the cabin overhead.

Now. About breaking into the home of the Chief of Police. Please don't tell us you were having a tryst with his daughter.

BobJ
11-21-2012, 03:28 PM
Okay, I won't tell you that. Besides, technically a tryst is something you keep, not something you have.

Seeing the ladder up against the house, the next-door neighbor called over to ask if we were eloping. I said "No, I'm bringing her back" - which was true - she'd locked herself out of their house when we left on our date.

Perhaps Tad was aboard when the MATSONIA altered course to take pictures of RAGTIME! mid-Pacific on 3 July 2006. The e-mail with the photos (below) was signed by Reese Jones, Radio Officer and Capt. Norman Piianaia, Commanding.

BobJ
11-21-2012, 04:47 PM
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q304/BobsailsSF/Matsonia1.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q304/BobsailsSF/Matsonia2.jpg

Coyote
11-21-2012, 05:41 PM
What a great shot, at a great time!

Ergo
11-22-2012, 04:57 AM
Yeah, that shot is a definite keeper. But back to the interesting part. A tryst is something you DON'T have? Really? How do you "keep" it if you don't "have" it?

sleddog
11-22-2012, 07:37 AM
I'm thankful for dear friends, sailing and otherwise. Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Onward.

sleddog
11-24-2012, 10:02 AM
My Virtual Vendee racer SLEDCAT crossed the Line on Thanksgiving and is now sailing in the SE Trades. The Virtual fleet has split, with some going east down the coast of Africa. Smart money looks to be on the traditional western route, down the coast of South America. SLEDCAT's current position of 159,554 is unrealistic, as the Great Circle based rankings heavily favor the eastern most boats. All will become clear when we transit the first "ice gate" south of Cape of Good Hope. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/

On the water, Vincent Riou's Vendee race favorite PRB has hit a half submerged metal buoy. The collision caused a large gash in the bow, and damaged the starboard standing rigging. It is going to be a difficult repair. But if anyone can do it, 40 year old VR can. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/article/4349/vincent-riou-s-prb-damaged-after-collision-with-metal-buoy.html

I'll be sailing tomorrow with Synbad. This week we recut an old Moore 24 #1 to fit WILDFLOWER. I trialed it yesterday in its wind range, TWS 6-10, and things checked out. Synthia Petroka (EYRIE) is not only a great shipmate, but a true pro on the sail loft floor. I cannot recommend her highly enough for canvas creations and sail repair projects.

sleddog
11-24-2012, 01:13 PM
30 years ago yesterday marked the anniversary of Hurricane Iwa. Iwa, south of Kauai, made an unforecast 90 degree turn, and went north directly over Kauai. Neighbor island, Oahu, on Thanksgiving, was blacked out without electrical power. Honolulu, in the right hand or dangerous semi-circle, had all its harbor buoys blown ashore.

Kauai was wiped out. Nawiliwili took major damage, with every boat, including the Coast Guard, either blown ashore or sunk. The top of yacht masts littered the harbor for weeks. Port Allen, on the south shore, took the brunt. The rock breakwater was destroyed and nothing was left of the harbor. The largest piece of any boat found the next day was my friend Chester's forehatch from his 26' sloop MO'A.

For unknown reasons, with hurricane warnings flying, Matson sent its little (346') inter island ship MAUNA KEA on its regularly scheduled run from Hono to Nawiliwili. In the best of conditions the underpowered MAUNA KEA could only make 10 knots, and that was downwind in the Trades. They hadn't even gotten mid-channel when the bridge anemometer was registering 80 knots. 30 foot seas broke the lashings on the container gantry, and the heavy steel structure threatened to go over the side.

The captain, asleep in his cabin, had left instructions with the bridge not to be woken until an hour before arrival in Nawiliwili. Luckily on watch were two real sailors/surfers and long time shipmates, Bob Buell and Al Thoma. Bob, harnessed in, went aft with chains and comealongs, and rodeoed the wayward gantry .

The anemometer pegged at 110 knots. The sea was white. The captain was awoken and sleepily took the bridge. There was only one thing to do. Bob and Al knew they had to jibe ship and run downwind back towards Oahu and suggested such to the now very much awake captain.

They waited for a lull in the seas, which were threatening to break through the bridge windows. They began their turn to jibe MAUNA KEA and run off. What happened next, I'll let Capt. Bob continue the story. I later received a handwritten letter from him describing how, at this moment, he “saw God.”

Bob Buell
11-24-2012, 02:48 PM
Yes, it was 30 years ago, and was reliving that Hurricane Iwa story with Sleddog by phone this am, he in Bekeley and I on the beach at Kahuku Point, Oahu.
This small inter-island ship the "Mauna Kea" was underpowered for such conditions, but we made weekly trips to Kauai, Maui, and Hilo on Big Island, reloading in Honolulu each trip.
The Captain, George, was a great ship handler and did his own piloting in/out of each port, but was not a sailor and surfer like myself who was chief mate, or Al Thoma 2/Mate...
So when the sun went down in Hurricane 100+ knot winds, I suggested to Capt George we jibe during a lull in these huge sets of waves breaking over the bridge, as we were basically hove to in those conditions even under full power on the twin screw Caterpillars. We decided to run off before it, and seek the "Lee of Oahu" about 30 miles to the NE of us.

She rode nice in that downwind mode, and a few hours later the 3/Mate called me to ask what the light was ashore, as I lived on the North Shore, and still do...It was the only light on
the island that night with the power all out, and I saw that it was the Comsat satellite dishes above my house at Sunset Beach, as they had a generator, that bearing and radar range gave us our position, as we made our way around a darkened windward coast to Makapuu at sunrise...When we entered Honolulu harbor around 0700, safe but beat up, we noted all the entrance buoys on the beach, that normally mark the reef. We called USCG station just inside harbor and told them, they were surprised we were inbound w/o buoys in place,
but we said the capt has lots of practice in/out of there daily.

sleddog
11-25-2012, 04:56 AM
The conclusion to the Hurricane IWA story is the Honolulu office of Matson Lines thought they had possibly lost the MAUNA KEA with all hands. They didn't know MAUNA KEA's radio gear/coms had been blown away.

The next morning after MAUNA KEA had circumnavigated OAHU seeking a lee from Hurricane Iwa, she steamed bravely backdoor into Hono Harbor approaches from the EAST (not the
West from whence she had departed the day before). The Matson office personnel and family members were not dry eyed and more than a bit thankful......

sleddog
11-26-2012, 07:18 AM
A fun sail yesterday with Synthia. Initially the fog was thick and the wind light as we made our way out of Berkeley Marina. Somewhere outside we encountered a solo paddler in a yellow kayak. We came alongside and found it was Latitude 38's "Max Ebb." Max was detailed to start the Berkeley YC Chowder Race. But couldn't see the other end of the line. We offered him some persimmon cookies and drifted on.

The wind filled, and the fog cleared. Not much wind, but enough to hear the wake gurgling. Synthia told about her early sailing history when a student at Cal Poly SLO. At that time, they wanted her on the team, because for every three guys, you had to have one gal.

We set the recently repaired spinnaker, the one we blew out rounding the north end of Orcas Island a couple of months back. With Syn steering, we did reach to reach jibes back to Berkeley and sailed into the Harbor on a fine afternoon. There on the dock was BobJ (RAGTIME) and Jackie (DURA MATER). BobJ, a veritible used marine hardware store on wheels, was delivering Jackie her new spinnaker pole. We had a nice visit before I set sail down the 880 freeway to Capitola. I didn't want to again listen to Berkeley Marina's shrill diaphone that blows everry 10 seconds, all night, when the fog is in.