Fleet 4 Newsletter March 2016

Transcription

1 Fleet 4 Newsletter March 2016 Contents - Upcoming Events - Captain's Report - Secretary s Report - Membership Report - Cruising Reports: First Day of Spring Cruise Strictly Sail Pacific New Members/Past Captains Cruise Presidents /Valentines Cruise: Roses are Red, Skies are Blue... D.I.Y. (Do-it-Yourself) Cruising and Guidelines Upcoming Events March 5, Saturday, 9:00am, Folsom Lake Race: Spring Series #3 March 18-20, Friday-Sunday, Skippers Meeting 10:00am Sat., Folsom Lake Cruise: First Day of Spring March 19, Saturday, 9:00am, Folsom Lake Race: Spring Series #4 April 2, Saturday, 8:00am, Folsom Lake Race: Trans-Folsom April 7-10, Thursday-Sunday, Strictly Sail Pacific, Marina Bay - Richmond Land Cruise, Saturday April 9, 10:00am 6:00pm April 8, Friday, 7:00pm, Mountain Mike s Pizza, 717 E. Bidwell, Folsom (Raley's Shopping Center) Membership Meeting and Swap Meet Captain's Report Roy Moore, Fleet Captain Catalina 22, Allegro Ahoy Sailors. As you may notice in this newsletter, sailing conditions are now consistently favorable. Heck, 2 weeks ago, the Delta weather was practically spring-like. So as an aid to memory for many of us, and new knowledge for the newest of us, here are a few tips for minimizing trouble on the water. Most of these ideas were tested by your captain or other Fleet members by not doing them. Every year get under the boat while it's on the trailer and remove the four bolts that hold the keel in (C22), and lube them with anti-seize, then torque them to 13 ft-lbs, one at a time. Depending on details of your trailer, stay away from the stern if the trailer isn't connected to the tow vehicle. (My motor mount still has a bend in it.) When is the last time the trailer bearings were serviced? I use bearing buddies to keep a positive pressure of marine grease on the bearings. How is the air pressure in the trailer tires? Mine run at 65 psi. Trailer chains are rarely needed, but can save the day when all else fails. Same with wheel chocks.

2 Is the tow vehicle fitted with a 2 inch ball or 1 7/8 inch? A miss-match gets exciting on the first turn. (See the part about chains, above.) I use stout ratchet tie-downs bow and stern; haven't lost the boat off the trailer yet. Just this year, a trailer expert showed me signs of my keel resting on the axle rather than the frame. This puts a lot of stress and wear on the keel hinge and hull. After losing one motor, I don't rely on clamps to hold the motor to the boat; my motor is secured with a chain and lock. Through-bolts into the motor mount may be a good idea. My favorite trick to keep the turnbuckles from getting bent is to stuff sticks under them before raising the mast. (I'm happy to demonstrate on-site.) Black Butte Lake has a telephone line across the parking lot that's stronger than our mast-stay systems. Brown's Ravine, Union Valley Reservoir, and many other launch ramps have trees nearby. If your trailer lights get wet during a launch, do you unhook the light plug from the tow vehicle? I grease the tongue extension each season. After forgetting the keys too often, I lock Allegro's cabin with a combination lock and the lazaret key is in the cabin. The Coast Guard or Sheriff may fine us $1000 for out-of-date flares. Actually, we can have as many out-ofdate flares as we like, so long as we have 4 current ones. (Editor s Note: there are exceptions for inland waters check ABCs of California Boating, by the CA DBW.) Do you know where your boat registration is? How's that fire extinguisher doing? Still "in the green"? Where is it? I found my first-aid kit had Band-Aids well past their useful life. (Wouldn't stick any more). I found some food with an expiration date of 2013 in Allegro s galley recently. Can the mast get out of control and fall during raising or lowering? Yes, and usually it is scary, but damage is minimal. (How? Let me count the ways.) This is a good reason to be well away from innocent bystanders and other vehicles as much as possible. How are the batteries in radios, GPS, etc.? Can gasoline or alcohol vapors get into the cabin or lazarets? (I don't plan on testing this one.) How are all the steel cables doing? Any "meat-hooks"? Any failures or corrosion at the fittings? Is any of the deck or bow hardware loose? I once secured Felice to a dock during a solo launch in an innovative way rather than the normal figure-eight hitch. The park ranger retrieved Felice from the other side of Black Butte Lake. Stuff still happens, but hopefully, with this reminder, less still will happen. Secretary s Report Steve Patchett, Fleet Secretary Catalina 22, Librium Board Meeting Notes - February 23, 2016 All board officers were present. Mike - Racing - Winter series is under way, Trans-Folsom (April 2, 2016), and Camellia Cup (April 16 & 17, 2016). Monte - Membership - Dues are coming in. Will check on next meeting, Friday April 8 th, at a pizza parlor. (Will be at Mountain Mike s, 717 East Bidwell, Folsom CA (Raley's Shopping Center).) Tim - Cruising - Spring Cruise (March 18-20), Strictly Sail Land Cruise (April 7-10), Union Valley Cruise (August 8th). Discussed Do-It-Yourself points for cruise. Madeline - Hospitality - Annual Picnic (June 17), Bigs/Littles picnic (June 18). Suggested a questionnaire regarding meetings - where, when, and any new ideas. Gary- Treasurer Fleet budget reviewed and approved by board members. Every week Susan and I travel across the Folsom Lake Crossing and we have the opportunity to see how low/high the water is in the lake. About 6 to 8 weeks ago, we noticed changes in the size of the lake, and every week the water was rising. It currently looks great and the slips are ready for use. Although the

3 Bureau of Reclamation has started releasing water for flood control, we hope that they do not release too much water. We hope to see you out on Folsom Lake soon. Happy Sailing! Membership Report Monte Whitefield, Membership Chair Hi Gang. It s that time of the year again! Two things you can count on this time of the year. Winter turning into spring, and me begging people to pay their dues! If you haven t paid up on 2016, please get your check in to Gary Preston. Thank you for supporting our club! This is going to be a great year for sailing! Cruising Reports Tim & Janice Hampton, Cruising Chairs Catalina 22, Amata FIRST DAY OF SPRING CRUISE FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY MARCH 18, 19 & 20TH Cruise Leaders: Tim & Janice Hampton, SV Amata, Catalina 22 Folsom Lake Marina, Brown s Ravine, 661 Green Valley Rd. El Dorado Hills, CA Janice and I are Cruise Leaders of our First Day of Spring Cruise for Fleet 4. We are excited to dust the boat off and plan to rig and launch on Friday, March 18. We will be glad to assist with rigging anyone s boat that needs it. Janice and I will spend the night in a slip at the marina at Browns Ravine Friday night. Skippers Meeting at the top of the main launch ramp at 10:00 am Saturday, March 19th, so hopefully all boats will be rigged & launched by that time. We have no strict scheduled for this cruise, just to shake down and prep our boats properly for the rest of the sailing season. Saturday we plan to sail out toward the Dam and then back up to New York Cove and rafting up for lunch. We plan to anchor for the night in the cove with those who wish to stay. We encourage those who want to just do a day sail with the fleet to come out and join us! Sunday Schedule: Morning breakfast on the water. Sail to the North Fork of Folsom for lunch and back to the Marina by 3 pm to de-rig and head home. Fees: Vehicle entrance $12.00 Launch fee $10.00 Slip/anchoring fee (nightly) $20.00 Always a great event, please contact Janice or myself to sign up for this cruise by March 16th. Janice Cell # Tim Cell #

4 Boat Show Hours: Thursday, April 7, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Admission: (Thrifty Thursday $14.00) Friday, April 8, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm One day pass $18.00, 2-day pass $28.00, 4-day $48.00 Saturday, April 9, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Book online at Sunday, April 10, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Buy tickets at gate also (same price) Ahoy Catalina Fleet 4!! One of the two Cruise events for April 2016 is our Land Cruise to the Sail show. This year s show will be located at Marina Bay Yacht Harbor in Richmond! This event will qualify for Cruise points and I highly recommend attending as this is the largest Sailboat Show on the West Coast! Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned sailor, this four-day sailing spectacular is the place to immerse yourself in the world of sailing! Enjoy the great outdoors while discovering all the new boats that the world s leading manufacturers have to offer. See various types and styles all in one place. Also on display will be a full range of marine electronics, products and accessories. Meet the Experts and attend a seminar!! Whether you are getting started in sailing, planning your dream cruise, preparing for your favorite passage, or looking to get the most out of your sailing, there is a seminar for you. Enjoy seminars on sailing destinations, weather, tides, cruising on a budget, sail trim, voyage planning, electronics, cruising for couples, catamaran cruising, storm strategies and more. With many unique topics, you may want to spend the entire weekend! Janice and I will be leading this event on Saturday April 9th, we will be driving over this year and welcome fellow members to meet us there! If you cannot make Saturday, this event is four days and you are welcome to attend any of the scheduled days and cruise points will be awarded. Please let us know what day(s) you wish to attend by April 6th so we can tally the points. Hope to see all of you there. The Patchetts and ourselves had a great time last year and I know you will too! NEW MEMBERS/PAST CAPTAINS CRUISE SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL Cruise Leader: Larry Charlot, Catalina 25 Quiet Time Ahoy Fleet 4! This is Past Captain Larry hailing all you swabs, scurvy dogs, roustabouts, and sailbums! Folsom Lake is rising fast. Pond elevation is 430' as of February 25th, and my last road trip over Donner Summit a couple of weeks ago shows that there's enough snow in the Sierra to maybe raise the lake to near full pond by Memorial Day weekend (keep your fingers crossed). It looks like we could have a nice long boating season this year, with the Marina open at least through Labor Day. So let's make the most of it! The marina is already open for slip renters to launch boats, which I plan to do this weekend, and Fleet 4 has a full slate of cruises planned, starting with the First of Spring cruise in March, then the New Members/Past Captains Cruise, April I will be your Cruise Leader for the NM/PC. We will start off with the traditional Skipper's Meeting at the top of the Brown's Ravine Launch Ramp at 10:00pm on Saturday, April 23rd, then GO SAILING! There will be the usual afternoon PuuPuu's raftup in New York Cove from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, then we will move back to the marina for an overnight raftup on the south side of the basin, or stay in our slips if you prefer. Boat camping in New York Cove costs $20, compared to our slips or rafting up in the basin which is free, and I think we all like free. I can't wait to get Quiet Time in the water! Seems like I barely remember what the motion of the boat sailing in a nice breeze feels like, it's been so long!

5 ROSES ARE RED, SKIES ARE BLUE, SAILING THE DELTA, IS FUNNER WITH YOU Cruise Leader: Karen Preston, Hunter 270 Charmed Life A romantic Valentine s weekend must include relaxation, chocolates, a wonderful dining experience, and being with your favorite person(s). If it is also Presidents Day weekend, a quaint old-fashioned town reminds us of our roots. And what a surprise to get all of this on our sailboat. Starting from our home marina at Owl Harbor on Saturday morning, we headed west. Winds required that prudent reefing of the sails were needed to keep us in the category of relaxing as befitted the occasion. Still, we were hitting 6 to 6.5 knots and the favorable current gave us an extra 2 knots. Pretty speedy for a boat designed for bass, not treble (to quote a popular song that may not really match, but you get the idea). As we approached our destination, the shore was lined with giant, puffy white marshmallows. No wait, those are oil tanks and coming into Pittsburg Marina feels more industrial than this weekend was supposed to be. Ah, Charmed Life lives up to her name once again as we encountered several surprises. First, the marina is modern, clean, and has great amenities. It is also on the edge of a grassy park and one block from the quaint old-fashioned downtown. Second, as we tied up to our dock, we noticed that the cotter ring holding the forestay clevis pin had broken and the pin was working itself out. How lucky to discover that before disaster could strike, especially given the challenging sail we d just had! Certain spare parts are good to carry so we fixed this right away. Third, we found an amazing Italian restaurant within an easy walk. Funny story: we made reservations for 7:00. Upon arrival, we said we had reservations for 7 and gave our name. The hostess said it would take a few minutes for our table to be ready. After waiting quite a while, we thought that we must be getting a really special table but we asked the status and found out she thought we meant 7 people. We immediately got our table, very attentive service, and complementary glasses of really good wine. La Veranda Italiano is family-owned and most of the staff is family. The owners were gracious and came by several times to talk, saying that if it wasn t so busy they would introduce us to the others. Interestingly, they are Lebanese, not Italian, but they noted that both countries share a Mediterranean influence and they sure know how to cook. The food was outstanding and it was clear that patrons were regulars as well as other visitors from the marina. We liked it so much we asked for their business card to give them a shameless plug in this article. The next day we planned a short sail to Antioch Marina. Roy and Noreen Moore (Allegro) launched there and sailed out to meet us on the river. We headed east toward to the Antioch bridge with building winds reaching into the 20+ range and gusts higher. Once again, not so relaxing, but it was fun. Heading back west we were happy to reach the shelter of Antioch Marina. This marina remains restaurant-less and it is a long walk to find food, so we had all planned to grill on our boat for a nice Valentine s dinner. Alas, the winds were so strong that Roy and Noreen were not able to fix sandwiches while on the water and were so hungry they scarfed down cold meatloaf as soon as they were docked. We held out and grilled our filet mignon and lobster tails, which we enjoyed with a nice bottle of red and a chocolate dessert. Antioch Marina has become quite empty compared to when we berthed there for a winter several years ago. Still, the facilities are quite nice and the bathrooms are remodeled and warm. And we enjoyed a lovely evening sharing stories in the comfort of our warm, cozy boat.

6 Monday gave us another bright sunny day, with calmer winds. Charmed Life and Allegro enjoyed a brief sail before the winds became calm. Allegro returned to Antioch to pull out and trailer home, while Charmed Life motored back to Owl Harbor. Such a lovely holiday weekend in the Delta. Who knew? D.I.Y. (Do-it-Yourself) CRUISING and GUIDELINES Tim Hampton, Cruising Chair, Catalina 22 Amata Making sailing fun and easy is one of the many goals of our Fleet. To help encourage all of us to Go Sailing the Executive Committee would like to add an additional cruising program. As you know, Fleet 4 approves a specific schedule of one or more sailing cruises each month for its members. We encourage everyone to participate in these scheduled events for fun, fellowship, learning and safety (buddy-boat). We realize that there are scheduled times and places that everyone may not be able to attend, due to various reasons for example your boat may already be moored at Folsom Lake and because of time and effort issues you could not make the scheduled cruise at Union Valley Reservoir. Therefore, if you do sail your boat at Folsom Lake on the schedule cruise day, you may still qualify for cruise points! Here are the criteria for qualifying for DIY CRUISE points: 1. The original approved scheduled cruise is not attended by any member. 2. The DIY cruise must be engaged on the same scheduled day(s) as the original scheduled cruise. 3. Must let the Captain & Cruise Chairman of the fleet know where and when you are cruising. 4. Must write a short article or paragraph for the 4um newsletter (and picture if possible) about your experience. 5. You will receive ½ credit of applicable cruise points as follows: a. Folsom Lake Single day cruise 2 points b. Folsom Lake Overnight cruise 5 points c. Away Cruise single day 3 points d. Away Overnight cruise 7 points e. Away 2 nights 10 points f. Away 3 or more nights 12 points g. Flying Fleet 4 Burgee 1 point SO GET OUT THERE AND SAIL, SAIL, SAIL!!!