So, kids, what date and location have you decided upon? This I gotta see.
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So, kids, what date and location have you decided upon? This I gotta see.
Seriously though...THREE people have expressed interest in actually going. Is that gonna be it?
Well, I no way can go the weekend of Sept 21st. That's Joans birthday, and I need time to assemble/fix...or whatever it's gonna be, the boat I'll use. So the weekend of the 28th makes sense. Later than that and it could rain, I suppose....as difficult as it is to imagine that, right now.
Quite a few options have been offered. All are acceptable to me, but my preference would be the following order.
1. Napa River. It is such a fun place. I could launch something from my dry storage at Brickyard Cove.
2. Tomales Bay. Decades ago found me racing my Lightning there. It would be fun to return.
3. Anywhere in Delta. Little time has been spent in Delta (on the water). No reason not to change that. A sabot may be more difficult with currents, so rowing / paddling options may be better.
No restriction on any of the dates (so far).
Of course, I have never figured if a sabot full of dry bags is feasible. Not a big deal. The canoe with oars can easily hold a cooler and all the other paraphernalia.
If the Tomales Bay venue adds another group, that would be a nice plus.
Ants
Row or sail with huge carrying capacity and a gear trampoline:
https://www.sfbaysss.org/forum/showt...Ourigger-Canoe
So how about Vallejo 1-2 weekend? We sail with the fleet to Vallejo on Saturday... then on to Napa on Sunday. Even with just 3 of us... Saturday with the whole fleet should be fun. And a passing sailor might pass a cold beer... its only a 45 minute drive from Pt. Richmond to Napa... could launch boats 7am ish, move trailers to Napa 8am ish, and car pool back to Pt. Richmond to start the race 9 am ish. Maybe catch a tow to the starting line with a friend. And if there is no wind... can probably catch a tow from the middle of San Pablo Bay to Vallejo too. Everyone have a handheld VHF "just in case"?
The weekend of 19-20 October is open, so that seems reasonable to me. Just to be clear, we have a one way trip on water to Vallejo on Saturday (with the fleet), and a short hop up the Napa River on Sunday where our vehicles have been shuttled the day before.
It seems like a rowing event to me, unless I think a kayak is faster ( but kayak hold few cold drinks).
I like the plan!
Ants
PS DSC VHF radio and PLB are handy and ready to use. Wet suit and dry suit with PFD are also available.
If weekend of Oct. 19-20, WILDFLOWER volunteers as ice, beer, and tug boat. I think there is a fancier "mothership" with more flags and a CBC burgee already committed who has practice on the Napa River.
I've put out the word to the Santa Rosa Sailing Club (SRSC) and Sailing Education Adventures (SEA) out of Loch Lomond. All small boats. For those interested the SRSC has a Labor Day Weekend Regatta at Tomales Bay. Camp on the west shore, sail/race during the day. Not a RAID, but if you've never sailed and camped on Tomales, you should. -- Pat
Another contest!
Per Philpott, the incentive to participate gets the following prize - a sticker from that infamous Gilroy radio station that was on the air during the late 70's and early 80's (rare item).
Attachment 4696
From the same time era, what was significant about this orange object and why was it subject to the vandalism / misuse that is shown?
It brought back memories when I saw this again.
Ants
The infamous Gilroy radio station would be KFAT. My favorite DJ is Mary Tilson and I listened to her on KFAT when we visited our daughter in Santa Cruz - didn't get it in Santa Rosa and way too early for Internet streaming. Joy! Now I listed to her on KPFA, which come thru in Santy Rosy! Of course if M.T. wasn't on air while were were in range, I listened to KFAT when possible. A quirky station for sure! Pat Broderick, hopeless Country music fan - especially string/mountain music. Although I grew up in Western Oregon, most of the neighbors in rural Lane County migrated from Dust Bowl, and other depressed areas before and after the war. As a kid attending local square dances and impromptu concerts that's my music.
Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life.
Attachment 4697
I still have one of those orange red plastic milk crates. So strong, They were good for taking the load of 300 pounds of trailer tongue weight, or used as a portable step to get off the dock and onboard MERLIN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW9-FOLG-iA
Well, it is heartwarming to know there are Fatheads around. The contest was not to name the radio station, but the prize is a KFAT sticker (ready to stick where you want).
The contest question is below the picture.
Special note for WylieGuy - the KFAT was picked up by an Oregon radio station at one time after the Gilroy station was sold. Imagine my surprise when the station came on the air while driving by.
KFAT music lives. The Internet Archive has hours and hours of KFAT recorded music to listen to!
Still waiting on the contest question........
Ants
Oct. - 19-20 it is, then...and up the Napa River, to I assume The Quanci Manse!
How much water y'all got up there?
Let's see if this incentive gets more participants?
All SSS Raid starters and mother ships get a KFAT sticker.
Attachment 4698
I checked the currents / tides with the ever useful L-36 website.
There is the tail end of a ebb at the start about 9 am. About 2 hours later, the flood starts. It seems a shallow draft rowing vessel could enjoy the birds along the mudflats before the tide kicks. Keep the depth sounder on.
As for Sunday, I don't have a clue. But, the distance is short. Maybe have an extra cup of coffee.
Ants
A couple of years ago while investigating possible Santa Rosa Sailing Club "Adventure Sails" I exchanged emails with the then-Napa YC Commodore. He said a normal day's sailing for him in his 32-foot sloop was to motor down the Napa River and then sail back up. I think the prevailing wind would provide a reach/run. But someone might want to contact the NYC and ask. They sail up that way all the time and have the local knowledge. -- Pat
I'm keeping an eye on craigslist for something small...in the 11-13 foot range, that is rowable, and is *very* inexpensive. It's obvious that while I can probably get the Piper ready for this, and I might be able to sail the Piper to Quqnci Central, sailing back down the river isn't going to happen.
It IS tempting to make one of these: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...Big-Guide-quot
or these: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...-sheet-rowboat
as they are much similar to the skerry, and can be made "relatively" quickly from two sheets of 1/4 inch lywood for the hull and another sheet for bulkheads, airtight flotation chamges and so on....but time...time....
I always thought the skerry was a dream to row, but kind of sucked as a sailboat.
Wind blows upriver most days... and current carries all the way to Napa (we will be going with a flood). RYC did a cruise to Napa several months ago... a few 40 foot sloops drawing near 7 feet made it there no problem (though the bridge with 62 feet of clearance made one boat with a tall rig a wee bit nervous). Yes the navigatable channel is pretty narrow - but for small boats plenty wide.
Maybe bring a fishing pole and troll most of the RAID? :-)
Sadly, the Penobscot 14 has disappeared. The young man got married recently and the house was re-rented.
What about this one? The ad says that both main and jib are on roller-furlers. Well, okay... At least it's blue.
Attachment 4726
...the weekend after next at RYC. So started the beginning of a "flyer"... so here goes... and I have a bit of an "itch" that maybe this isn't needed at all... maybe word of mouth with a few friends/boats is all we really need. But the "more people the more fun" part of me reflexively wants to widen participation...
RAID
Pt. Richmond to Napa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_(boating)
A dinghy adventure
Not a race, but a passage with friends
RYC to Vallejo on Saturday October 19th
Vallejo to Napa on Sunday October 20th
Sunday late afternoon BBQ in Napa
What?
• Use the boat you have on a passage from Pt. Richmond to Napa
• But don’t use a boat that might need to be rescued – as there is no event organizer to rescue you.
• Laser, Radial and Bytes? Sure. FJ? You bet. Mercury? Yup. 420 or 470? Yessir.
• Optimist or El Toro. Don’t think so – though maybe you have a self-bailer and are an “expert”.
• 29er or 49er? Do you have the skills to not have to be “bailed out”?
• Row boat or kayak? Yes!
• What boat you choose is your responsibility after careful consideration of your sailing skills – as even the safest most stable boats can be dangerous in stiff winds and choppy seas.
• Self-sufficiency is a must.
• Seamanship is a must.
• You are responsible for being and staying safe – no crash boats, no supervision.
• You are solely responsible for evaluating the weather forecast and your boat handling skills - and deciding if you can make the voyage safely.
Timing
• Unorganized meet at RYC at 630am Saturday October 19th to launch boats and take trailers and most cars to Napa.
• Carpool back to RYC.
• Leave RYC around 9am (maybe 930am).
• Feel free to start from “elsewhere” – anywhere convenient for you.
• Lodging in Vallejo? Find a single-hander doing the Vallejo 1-2 with an empty bunk and who can also carry your sleeping bag and spare clothes. Or get creative (leave a car in Vallejo?)…
What else?
• If the weather forecast is “light” which can happen in late October, you might want to bring a paddle (this is not a race so paddling is perfectly okay).
• Borrow a handheld VHF race “just in case” (and might be needed for bigger dinghies that need the bridge in Vallejo to open).
• Wear a wetsuit and lifejacket? I sure am. This is several hours on the water in a dinghy (a Laser in my case) – where if “s___ happens” one could find oneself in the water for longer than one wants to be.
• And if the weather looks bad, skip the RAID, spend the weekend working on your boat – and you are still welcome in Napa for an afternoon BBQ.
Last
• There is no “organization” or “person” responsible for this RAID.
• Its friends going on an adventure.
• Each of us responsible for ourselves (though yes travelling in company so there are friends around should one get in a pinch).
• That said, it would good to know if you are coming – to insure we have enough food at the BBQ, to tell you where the BBQ is, and talk to Richmond YC, Vallejo YC and Napa YC on the number of dinghies likely to be “dropping in”. Let me know if you are a “go” or a “maybe” – and what sort of boat you will likely be in. jim.quanci@autodesk.com
I want to do this...but the Piper probably will not be ready....and I have to give up the Vallejo 1-2 to do it. I've hardly been on the water with the SSS this season, this is my last chance this year to sail with the gang.
However, I'm still watching craigslist for something appropriate.
I'll be focused on the Vallejo 1 and then getting S! back to RYC and cleaned up. But I think these events could catch on, so I'm interested.
I have a question. As pretty as that Penobscot 14 was, would it be better to have a boat that is self-rescuing? The P14 didn't have any decking, even over the bow. You could put inflatable cylinders in it (like the Optis do) but it would still be full of water when you righted it. Taking off across San Pablo Bay knowing that you absolutely can't capsize seems unrealistic.
All that said, I discovered I still have the owner's phone number.
I think this is a little confusing. Jim is suggesting that the RAID be held as an informal part of RYC's Totally Dinghy, which is scheduled for the weekend of September 21/22. Alan's RAID was scheduled for the weekend of Vallejo 1-2 October 19/20. Two separate events as far as I can tell.
Jim suggested promoting it at Totally Dinghy, not having it on that date.
I'd proposed having it on a weekend that wasn't in conflict with a pre-existing SSS event, but nobody seemed interested. Jim suggested doing it alongside the 3-BF, with folks going up to Napa instead of a Delta trip, Ants agreed, and here we are.
I want to support the idea. I VERY MUCH want to support it. I've tried to get something like this going twice before and nobody has expressed an iota of interest, so I'm stoked that there's some action this time. It's just that I don't actually own a little 14 footer right now, so I was going to use the Piper, but getting the Piper back downstream from Napa, against the wind might be problematic. I could maybe have her ready in time.. ~maybe~.. if I ignored the projects that need doing on the Wildcat. Or I could buy a used 14 footer like a Holder 14 or a Lido or something, and do the event.
The thing is that I don't have all the kit to race in the SSS events that go out the Gate, so I hate to miss the few that I CAN do that are "inside"...the Vallejo 1-2 being one of them. Between one thing and another...crewing on other boats, concerts, conflicts and so on, I've hardly raced my own boat at all this year. Here's my last chance this year to race, and.....it's just hard to say "no".
Doesn't mean that I won't, anyway, but it's a little painful. On the other hand, the Wildcats bottom hasn't been cleaned in three years beyond what I can do from the dock and the last race I did I was the far side of dog-slow, so maybe zooming along in a dinghy would be more fun. I dunno. I hate to drop a couple bills on a dinghy, when what I NEED to do is save my boat bucks for a haulout for the Wildcat.
Can I convince Joan that I Need THREE boats?
So, why did I sell the skerry? She was pretty as could be, rowed like a dream and sailed OK....not great, but OK.
The answer was that once I capsized her. I couldn't get the boat to right itself with the rig up. I had to drop the rig in the water. Now, the mast was hollow aluminum and plugged at both ends, so it didn't turn turtle. When I released the halyard on the yard, the boat would come up. I could get back into it...both good things. However, the freeboard was SO low, when it was full of water and I was sitting in it, that I could make no headway against little waves splashing water back into the boat, when I bailed. This was in the Redwood City turning basin, not out in the open Bay. I got to thinking about what that could mean on a rough day, when I was a mile off the closest shore and that convinced me that the skerry was NOT the boat to go dinghy cruising in.
I had purchased a couple of dinghy flotation bags, and strapped into the right places maybe they would have changed that situation, but I don't think so. I think I would have found myself sitting for hours in a swamped skerry, unable to row, unable to sail....not IN the water, but still not a good situation.
I am still holding the date on my calendar. My rowing training should start in a week or so, but paddling will begin tomorrow. My primary craft, the canoe with oars has flotation, but I will add more flotation bags under the decks. There are plenty of dry bags, as well as room for a cooler. The umbrella that was used in a Green River trip is probably not needed.
I like the promotion idea. The more the merrier.
Ants
The note that comes with my Social Security check says to keep moving if I want to collect more of them.
The on the water conditioning began today. Five miles in about an hour and a half. If the tides are not adverse, that gets me to the Brothers Lighthouse.
Attachment 4734
Very pleasant time, even though an earlier start would have been cooler.
Ants
Weekend before last, I took the Laser out in the Napa River for an hour... first time I have sailed her in over a decade. Only ran aground twice (need to pay closer attention to the channel markers). Then just this last weekend sailed in Tomales Bay... about 4 hours on the water... maybe cover 6 miles all told. Launched at Inverness YC (great place with friendly smiling members who just want to help) and sailed north up past Hearts Desire Beach. The trip south at the end of the day was a fast one... bit of planing going on. What did I learn? Don't forget the bottle opener (Corona). Next Vallejo... :-)
Yes the plan is to ghost the Vallejo 1-2 fleet on Saturday. Hang with them in the evening (maybe borrow a bunk) - and head north to Napa Sunday morning (as the SSS crowd heads back to the Bay). Yes the Totally Dinghy was just about promoting the RAID. Love Jackie's idea of V 1-2 on DM to Vallejo - and then joining us going north to Napa on Sunday. Maybe that is the answer to having dry clothes... "DM delivery service".
At some point need to take a headcount - so we can let Vallejo YC and Napa YC that we are coming (though if its just 3 or 4 of us... we can likely get away with just showing up).
What else? I have put a bug in my son's ear... see if he can borrow a 420 or an FJ... grab a friend and join in the fun.
There’s a FREE boat with trailer on Craig’s list. Might be just what you need!
https://reno.craigslist.org/boa/d/tr...987787170.html
Hey, a mutineer... that would be fun, but I'm more likely to go for a more cruising-oriented dinghy like a Wayfarer or a CL16. Also on the possible list might a very rowable beach cruiser around 16 feet like an Oughtred Tirrik. And finally, a boat that is primarily an open-water rowboat might get the nod. All those would work for the raid, I'm just not finding one around the Bay Area..