4/13/18
On a road trip to S.Cal for spreading of ashes of a dear aunt, I was able to kayak yesterday in childhood waters of Newport Harbor. There lying on a nearby mooring was an old friend, the splendid 86 foot schooner ASTOR, a Wm. Fife design launched in 1923. She is built teak on bronze. Like a moth to a flame, I circled ASTOR several times, admiring her obvious loving attention.
ASTOR is no slouch, having finished first in the Sydney to Hobart. And competed world wide.
On my 2nd circumnavigation of ASTOR, and nearby big cat AFTERBURNER, the breeze quickly built from SW 6-8 knots, to W 18, gusting 25. This strength of breeze is rare for Newport, and one foot whitecaps speedily built across the Bay. With only 4" of freeboard on the kayak, I paddled for shelter at Newport Harbor Yacht Club, where 12 international teams were racing Harbor 20's in the Team Race Baldwin Cup.
Even with reefed mains, the Harbor 20's were dangerously out of control in the stadium racing close tactical situations, and racing was postponed for the afternoon in the fresh breeze, which would have been considered a pleasant wind for SF Bay. One skipper friend from Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead gave me the skinny: "the boats are designed for S. Cal winds, the rudders are too small for this breeze.."
As I sat on the NHYC dock watching the Baldwin Cup action, I considered the present. I've been writing an online gig as a hobby for 24 years, since 1994, when the only internet sailing related Forum was a "news group" called "watersports." The following year, "Rec.Boats.Racing" appeared as a Forum to post sailing related info. Photo postings were still in the future, due to dial up speeds and antiquated computers.
I thank everyone in SSS, and on this SSS Forum, for allowing my indulgence in two of my passions: sailing and writing. I rarely anticipate subjects. Many are significantly off topic; some not even sailing related. More than a few are repeats.
I write for fun, education, often questing for an historical perspective: my first race, the Flight of the Snowbirds, was 7 decades ago, right here where I was today paddling the kayak. Snowbirds were 12 foot catboats, with a boom as long as the mast was high, and several hundred were once local to only Newport Harbor. Now only one remains, in a nautical museum.
No deadlines, no publisher edits into unrecognizable prose, no minimum wage. Been there, done that, as did my father for a monthly West Coast sailing rag called SEA.
I didn't chose Sleddog as my "handle," it chose me. I tried for "Seadog", but it was already taken, even in the early days of 1994. At the time I was skippering "sleds", Ultra Light Displacement Boats or ULDB's like MERLIN, Santa Cruz 50's and 70's, mostly built in Santa Cruz, where I relocated in 1971 after managing a communal bookstore in Palo Alto.
Once I became "Sleddog," I began receiving unsolicitated e-mails from Iditarod and dog team owners, inquiring as to my techniques, and what kind of dog food I preferred. One lady wrote from Alaska inquiring whether my dog team would be interested in meeting her pups. The only thing I knew about dogfood was during a financial dry spell in college, I had tried eating a can. Not a recommended dining cuisine!
I write on an older Toshiba laptop, with many letter keys well worn, even indecipherable.
I've met about 15-20 of you. The other 99% of readers are unknown to me, although I doubt DJT frequents this Forum. Golf seems to be his gig.
I wish everyone well with your summer endeavors, whether it be racing, cruising, or day sailing. Trivia winner or not, you are always welcome at the Capitola Boat Club. If you have sailing related questions, comments positive or otherwise, or a good story, you are always welcome here to post on this current "thread." Or just write me directly. My e-mail is skipallanatsbcglobal.net
Good Sailing!
~sleddog