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Thread: What I Saw

  1. #101
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
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    2,095

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    I love Port Townsend. I would move there, if the music scene were better.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  2. #102
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    R2AK Clip of the Start and in Victoria

    Day Zero

    https://r2ak.com/2018-clip-of-the-day/
    Last edited by Philpott; 06-15-2018 at 10:33 PM.

  3. #103
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Race To Alaska
    Victoria BC to Ketchikan, watch here:

    http://tracker.r2ak.com/

    Keep an eye on Team Dreamcatchers, Larry Olsen of Humdinger here in the Bay

  4. #104
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

    Default Wild Card in the R2AK

    Walking along the docks in Port Townsend, I noticed a pretty little aqua boat - looked familiar. A fiberglass Fast is Fun boat from Santa Cruz calmly sitting among all the double-enders and wooden boats of the Pacific Northwest! Who ARE these guys? So I pulled out my iphone and interviewed them. Very nice. Mike Descheemaeker (sitting in the cockpit) will be coming down the coast with his family in the fall on their way to Mexico. In their bigger boat. Of course. Wild Card is saved for the Inner Passage.

    Here's what they had to say: https://vimeo.com/276355143
    Last edited by Philpott; 07-15-2018 at 10:33 AM.

  5. #105
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default Hanalei Bay Retrospect

    Being in Hanalei Bay as part of the Race Committee for the 2018 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race was great fun. On the airplane coming home I sat next to a real nice woman and her teenage daughter from Poipu, Kauai. They taught me a few important things about Hawaiian culture, such as the concept of ‘malama pono’, which is to take care of the land, ‘makai’: to help or good in general, and ‘pono’, which is the aloha spirit of Hawaii. I suppose I have just butchered the meaning of these words, but it was sure a pleasant conversation. They were on their way to Disneyland, and will call me next time they come to San Francisco for a sail on Dura Mater.

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    I showed them this photo of my new friends in the Hawaiian National 29 Infantry Brigade, Alex (rank=E5), Sargent Allan (rank=E5) and Command Sargent Major James, who taught me how to do the shaka. They were lovely young men, every one, and they were very patient as I mangled the gesture. They told me that the shaka means “I love you”, which is just fine by me.

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    This from Wikipedia: “The shaka sign, sometimes known as "hang loose" by outsiders also used to say awesome, is a gesture of friendly intent often associated with Hawaii, and surf culture. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while holding the three middle fingers curled, and gesturing in salutation while presenting the front or back of the hand; the hand may be rotated back and forth for emphasis. The shaka sign was adopted from local Hawaiian culture and customs[citation needed] by visiting surfers in the 1960s, and its use has spread around the world. It is primarily used as a greeting gesture or one to express thanks, acknowledgement, or even praise from one individual to another.”
    Last edited by Philpott; 07-14-2018 at 11:54 AM.

  6. #106
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default Hanalei Retrospect

    When Don Martin arrived in Hanalei Bay after completing the 2018 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race he was mighty tired. After a shower, however, we offered him an Official SSS Mai Tai and he perked right up. He had three. Here he is, talking with David Herrigel, Philippe Jamotte, Al Germain and the rest of us:

    https://vimeo.com/280007381
    Last edited by Philpott; 07-14-2018 at 01:18 PM.

  7. #107
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default Mixing up the Medicine

    Shortly after the race started the RC received this message deep in the bowels of the Word Press site:

    Hi, I’m Dennis on s/v Pamela, the little Pacific Seacraft 37 on Hanalei bay. I sailed in from SF a month ago. I’m looking forward to watching the fleet roll into the bay very soon. Where’s ‘command central’ — one of the houses on Weke Rd I presume? I’d like to come by sometime and say hi!

    Dennis Maggard did come by, and he may have rued the day, because he spent the next eleven days playing ferryman for the Singlehanded Sailing Society. The River was washed out in the recent floods, so we really appreciated Dennis and Rob Macfarlane, who both put in innumerable hours taking people back and forth to their boats. Between collecting sailors arriving, and taking them back and forth with provisions, both men were incredibly helpful.

    As a three time Transpac participant, Rob is a member of the tribe and as such his generosity is more understandable. But Dennis? He's now an official member of the race committee. Maybe he'll join the 2020 race? Here he is in the kitchen with Synthia, mixing up the medicine.

    https://vimeo.com/280102650
    Last edited by Philpott; 07-15-2018 at 03:59 PM.

  8. #108
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default SHTP: Callie Answers a Big Question

    These men have been aboard their sailboats for weeks on end. They arrive at Tree Time and what do they talk about? Boats Boats Boats

    https://vimeo.com/280123494

  9. #109
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    IN THE DELTA AGAIN

    081218 Today's float plan was to sail up the south fork of the Mokulemne River. Or down the south fork. But before I go there's that nice run along the levee road of Seven Mile Slough, to Channel marker 41. The lizards skitter off the gravel trail into grasses that are so dry they sound like burnt pieces of paper rattling.

    What do I see sitting up there on top of the marker but a huge blue heron. It's not blue but grey although it's called a blue heron. In the Delta words can be mysterious. You think you're sailing down river when you're really sailing up river, and the sloughs have so many twists and turns that after awhile you have to keep looking at your compass in order to determine whether you're sailing north or south or east or west.

    My garmin handheld is useless here. It doesn't take land into account. Once it wanted to send me straight over a levee except that I saw a freighter plowing forward. Just in time I realized that it was travelling down the Stockton deep water channel. Next thing you know, you see what looks like a sailboat moving through the hayfields. There are illusions in the Delta.

    Across the slough the sun is rising, deep orange against the brown fields. There are already fishing boats on the San Joaquin and I can tell the day will be another warm one.

    Although my sail plan was to go up (or down) the Mokulemne River to Georgiana Slough, I make an executive decision and turn to starboard as I exit Seven Mile Slough. Dura Mater has a slip at Owl Harbor again this summer. Dave Cowell s/v Mas Tiempo gives DM a shove off the dock and she and I are off, sailing very slowly in a very gentle breeze. It's not ten o'clock yet.

    Randy of San Andreas Cove Yacht Club motors past us and I call out, "Where are you going?" He responds with a big smile and a gesture to the great sailing territory beyond, "Out there!"

    As I approach the exit of Seven Mile Slough I see the Blue Heron again, waiting for me on top of that sunken houseboat with the orange fender that marks its demise. I sail close to the creature and it turns to look at me. Blinks once and then lifts itself away, flapping huge powerful wings, honking in annoyance. Stupid human.

    At the intersection with the San Joaquin River there are whole small islands of water hyacinth floating past in the strong ebb. They remind me of the kelp beds off Half Moon Bay that strangled the entrance down there in big swell two years ago.

    It takes me until 12:20 to approach Three Mile Slough, which would be embarrassing if I were racing. But I'm not, and there was a little burst of wind for a couple of minutes just off Bradford Island that was kind of exciting for about five minutes.

    As I turn to starboard to enter Three Mile Slough I raise my Secret Weapon, my pretty blue and yellow drifter. I thought we would be on a beam reach so I had it all ready to go, but the wind isn't cooperating and my executive decision to change the day's float plan has messed up my sense of direction. Will we be approaching the Bridge from the north or the south? I want to sound like I know what I'm doing when I hail the Bridge Operator! I call to see whether anyone is there to open the Bridge for us, so I hail Channel 9. Sure enough, there's a person waiting in an air conditioned office, responding in that courteous Delta manner people have up here. Or down here.

    I tell him that I'm coming, but that I'm sailing and there isn't much wind. He says, "Well, okay then. I'll be looking for you." So I feel better about things but it's still damned hot. I pour a bottle of water over my head and we slog along until I finally take the drifter down as we approach the Outrigger Marina and Cafe at 1:10.
    Last summer Chris Weaver was hopeful about this little cafe, but it looks sad today, all boarded up with its docks sagging.

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    I overheard someone say to someone else that the bank had taken it. It's hard to make a living in the Delta.

    The Outrigger Cafe is at the corner, and once we turn to port 90 degrees I see the boat launches of Brannan Island Recreation Area. It's a busy day today, with half a dozen wave runners in formation opposite the launches, lots of squealing by women who think the fellas are going too fast. Old fashioned feminine behavior and everybody's having a good time.

    Just past the boat launches there is a little protected cove with boat slips. They look new and so do the docks, with an accessible aluminum walkway leading down to them. But the entrance to the cove is roped off so I don't know what's going on there. The boat slips look perfect for sailboats. Dura Mater would fit in there nicely.

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    Well, onward and upward. Or downward. Around another corner, to starboard and there is the Three Mile Slough Bridge, which has to open for us to get to the Sacramento River. So I call the Bridge Operator and he remembers us and raises the bridge. It's like a miracle, picking up the radio, hailing channel 9 and a huge bridge rises and falls for little DM and me. I thank the operator, he says "You're welcome" and hangs out the window to wave. That's the Delta for you.

    So now Dura Mater and I are on the wide wide Sacramento River, in a building flood. And the wind is behind us so I raise our Secret Weapon again because I'm too hot to run more lines or go forward to attach the topping lift. This time it's perfect, the huge Blue and Yellow drifter performs its role as jib to my main and we're sailing wing on wing, the only sailboat on that big big river. Whooeee!

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    All along the Sacramento river to our portside are dozens upon dozens of families, each with its own sandy beach, approximately every 50 feet or so. The parents are passing out food from picnic baskets and everybody is sitting under brightly colored cabanas and umbrellas and even a large parasol, happy as clams as they watch their little kids bobbing around in rubber floaties and inner tubes. It's a hot Sunday in August along the Sacramento and this is a very appealing and free pastime for lots of folks. I know for a fact that the water is fresh and warm and it must feel cool and wonderful. I think seriously about jumping off Dura Mater but the flood is just too strong and that wing on wing business is working mighty fine.

    Lickety split we're at Delta Marina, where I tie up at the Point Restaurant and stagger into the air conditioning. Iced tea! My kingdom for an iced tea! So they bring it, and a crab louie salad, too.

    So here we are, Dura Mater and I, tied up for the night in this very protected marina with electricity and excellent wifi, after a hot shower. $27 for the night @ $1/foot, thank you very much. I have done my best to contribute to the Rio Vista economy. Tomorrow night it will be noodles and cheese to average out the extravagance.
    Last edited by Philpott; 08-12-2018 at 10:35 PM.

  10. #110
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    Nice write up, thanks!

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