Three Sheets in the Wind

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Three Sheets in the Wind T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E L I T T L E S H I P S F L E E T Y A C H T C L U B ( E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 3 7 ) 2 3 3 M A R I N A D R I V E, L O N G B E

1 Three Sheets in the Wind T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E L I T T L E S H I P S F L E E T Y A C H T C L U B ( E S T A B L I S H E D ) M A R I N A D R I V E, L O N G B E A C H, C A L I F Volume 51, Issue 10 lsfyc.org October, 2016 Commodore s Report By Rob Sonz October cool down... Greetings everyone, welcome to October! If you have a boat in the water all year long like I do; this is a good time to perform major repairs now that the Summer boating season is behind us. Then again with the weather being in the 80 s and 90 s for the past few weeks; looks like Autumn is going to have to wait a little bit longer. My sailboat, RIPKEN, a Cal-20, is due for a fresh coat of bottom paint. The beautiful dark blue color, that ran from stem to stern, has more white streaks in it than I would like. The major concern here is that marine flora and fauna can start to move into a new home on the bottom of RIPKEN. Time to add new bottom paint. This year, I m asking a few more questions than I did two years ago... What is the best antifouling paints for my boat? The main ingredient in antifouling paints is copper. Cu for our chemical types. Another is cuprous oxide (a copper compound). The key factor however, insofar as what works best, from an antifouling perspective, has to do with the amount of copper and the various ways of releasing this special ingredient. A matched set of binders are used to keep the copper in suspension. The best antifouling paints will have better control on how the copper is released to combat marine growth. One thing is for sure, a boat that has less activity will give the many different types of marine life flourishing within our local waters, more time to attack your boat s surface. I m sure while walking the docks in Alamitos Bay you might of seen some Kelp farms, growing underneath a boat that missed a few bottom cleanings? My boat will not be on that list! How the bottom paint interacts with the evil marine life that lurks below is the key to antifouling protection. Conventional paint copper release vs Soluble and ablative (S-A) paint copper release? What is the best way to go? I elected to go with the (S-A) style of paint. This will give me the best protection for at least another two more years in Alamitos Bay. I will be have two coats applied to the bottom as well, so that more paint is on the surface right from the start. Come October 2018, you can ask me How my bottom is doing?. Then, again I m more concerned about RIPKEN s bottom than my own. New returning member... We welcome returning LSFYC member Donald Starkey from Indio who is looking to get back in the water with his McGregor 26. Looking for crew or just have an empty seat on your boat? We have a few members without boats who are considering buying one, or (con t on Page 5) Three Sheets in the Wind Page 1

2 Vice Commodore s Report By Dick O Reilly September Membership Meeting... Our September meeting at Mimi s Café went well, with 19 in attendance. Debra Terrell was our program for the evening with a multi-media presentation about Santa Cruz Island, where she lived for years as an employee of the Nature Conservancy. Her schedule then was three weeks living on the island followed by a week on the mainland. Not only was her story fascinating to all of us, her presentation was beautiful, entertaining and professional quality. She created an audio-visual show on a DVD complete with animation effects on her wonderful slides and a musical background. She narrated the presentation, tracing the history of the island and brought us up-to-date on its present and possible future situation. Deb's brother provided the computer and projector and assisted her in preparing. Darrell Sausser, Larry Finley and Tom Scully helped her hook up to speakers and Commodore Rob Sonz arrived with a newly-purchased projector screen that will equip us for future presentations as well. It turns out that room-size screens are hard to find these days and Rob did some creative shopping to make the acquisition. The beverages, meals and the privacy of Mimi Cafe's private room helped make the evening an enjoyable time for all. See Deb s article on page 6. LSFYC Shed help needed... The Shed where we keep our race gear and various supplies is in need of some maintenance and organization to tidy up the interior. We are asking for some volunteer help to make that happen and are having a Shed Cleanup Day on Oct. 22 at 233 Marina Dr, Long Beach. Just show up at 11:00. Upcoming Officer Nominations and Elections The time has come (where did the year go?!) to nominate, vote, and elect new LSFYC Officers and Directors for This annual function has become somewhat of a challenge as late...not only for this club but some of the other smaller volunteer oriented clubs in the yachting community as well. Smaller clubs have smaller memberships and as a result, find members not interested in becoming part of the operating staff.they are content just to be a member. Now this is all well and good, but still someone has to drive the ship, plan the events, plan and host the races, represent the club in SCYA and pay the bills. Without the workings (and presence) of an operating staff, the club would slowly begin to flounder. So let s look at where LSFYC is today and how we got here: You may have noticed over the last years that our Commodores have been two timers, that is to say have served consecutive terms as Commodore twice. Starting in 2012 with S/C Tom Cornelius, then followed by S/C Pax Starksen. Each of these gentleman have done a tremendous job in keeping the club running on a even keel. The reason for the repeat terms is simply that there was no one behind them in the sequence chain...rear Commodore or Vice Commodore. When there is a gap in the chain, then what happens (as these folks have thankfully done) is to fulfill the role again. LSFYC, at this time, has the good fortune of having 2 major groups within the club that have contributed to the success thus far. The core supporters, i.e., long term unseen members who have supported the club by sending in the annual dues on regular basis (thanks to you all!) and the core operating team: Comm Rob Sonz, myself, S/C Tom Cornelius, S/C Pax Starksen, P/C Larry Finley, F/C Geoff Vanden Heuvel, S/C Frank Franco, Director Dave Haas, and most (con t on Page 5) Three Sheets in the Wind Page 2

3 Fleet Captain s Report By Geoff Vanden Heuvel Saturday September 24 (photos next page) was the date of the last Harbor Series race of the season. The Dog Days of Summer Race is sponsored by Shoreline Yacht Club and is usually run in August. This year Shoreline YC and Navy YC switch their races around and so the race held at the beginning of autumn is now misnamed. But I digress. 14 boats came out to race. The A and B fleets were assigned a 9.1 mile course that started near mark 39 on the Shoreline side of the harbor. From there it was up to mark 36 which is the closest mark to Queens Gate on the Alamitos Bay side of the Long Beach Breakwater. From mark 36 it was a long spinnaker run down to the newly restored mark 32 located down in the corner where the Alamitos Bay channel intersects with the Belmont Shore beach. From there it was back to the wall and a decision had to be made about whether to tack before Island Chaffee, or go below it. I was racing on Swell Lover, a Catalina 30 that has been owned from birth by Nate Tucker (and will soon be owned by me and my partners). We were ahead of Latitude a Ranger 29 with an identical PHRF rating of 186, by about 20 boat lengths and made the decision to go below the island and not tack. Latitude did tack before the island and when we finally tacked on the other side and came up to meet them they had recovered all 20 boat lengths and put in another 5 in for good measure. After a starboard rounding at mark 37 we had to make another decision. We were not sure exactly where mark 39 was and it was almost a beam reach as we headed for the beach. Up ahead Latitude did put up their spinnaker and was slowly moving away from us. After about 10 minutes we decided to put up the spinnaker and picked up some speed but it was too little too late to catch them. The A and B fleets rounded mark 39 and finished with Raptor easily winning 1 st place in the A fleet and Suicidal Bird taking another 1 st in the B fleet. The non-spin fleet had three Shoreline boats come out to challenge perennial winner Pacific Wolf but it was no contest. Pac Wolf won the 6.4 mile race easily. For the Harbor Series honors, in the A Fleet Dos Amigos Dos took 1 st overall. Suicidal Bird took the honors in the B Fleet and Pacific Wolf again dominated the Non-spin fleet winning every race. Trophies were given out at the after race party at the beautiful Shoreline Yacht Club and a good time was had by all. In the meantime, you are all invited to participate in the informal Salty Sailors Series sponsored by Navy Yacht Club every Tuesday. Folks gather at the navy clubhouse at 11:45 am to get assigned to a boat. The racing commences at 1 pm and is finished no later than 3 pm with drinks and snacks available at the clubhouse after that. Remember this happens EVERY TUESDAY. It is a GREAT way to get out sailing and meet some quality people. Give it a try! Tony Rydiek or Chris Mewes ( ) for info. Sailing videos on Amazon Prime... If you subscribe to Amazon Prime video service, along with many, many free videos of various subject matter, there are a series of excellent sailing videos: Go to [SEARCH] and input SAILING, select [SAILING MOVIES]. Among the selections shown are a series of 3 videos: THE CALIFORNIA CAMPAIGN, THE TRANSPAC and RACING AROUND THE WORD ALONE (highlights of the last Vendee Globe Race). This solo around the world race by world class super sailors begins this November 6, see: Pop up a bag of popcorn and watch them all. Three Sheets in the Wind Page 3

4 Dog Days of Summer Race photos by Geoff Vanden Heuvel Start of the A Fleet Steve Cole w/ Love & War awaiting the start Skipper Nate Tucker on Swell Lover with a prerace pep talk to the crew :...and don t screw up! Three Sheets in the Wind Page 4

5 Commodore s Report (con t) simply would like to go sailing with LSFYC members...after all, that s why they joined the club. So if you need some crew or would like to have a passenger on board for a day of sailing, please contact Geoff Vanden Heuvel via the LSFYC website: LSFYC.org Upcoming Officer Elections... The Board of Directors has asked the traditional "Five Old Salts" to nominate the incoming Officers and Board members for year We will review their selections at the next Board meeting, and propose them for election at our General Membership Meeting on November 11, We still need fill a few offices, and are actively looking for a few members that are willing to step in and help in the operation of the club in the coming new year. Please step forward, and volunteer. If you see any benefit in being a member, please consider stepping up to a leadership position for an even greater benefit! Christmas gift party The annual LSFYC Christmas gift party will be held on Dec. 3 at Malarky s in Long Beach. I know it may be a bit early to mention this, but this is a fun event and please put this on your calendar of must things to do! Deb Terrell article... Member Deb Terrell has been generous in the last two member meetings to allow us a glimpse into her past association and life while living on Santa Cruz Island. In addition to the live presentations, in this issue, she has submitted an article on the subject as well. Thanks Deb! Vice Commodore s Report (con t) importantly, Treasurer Dick Martin who has, over the years, willingly, efficiently and thankfully skippered the club finances such that today we are very solvent and have sufficient cash reserves on hand. (For a copy of the latest Treasurer Report, please contact Dick via the LSFYC website.) So for the upcoming 2017 roles of Operating Officers and Board members, we appear to be in the same boat as previous years. I, unfortunately and due to various reasons, cannot continue on as Commodore for This means Commodore Rob Sonz will reprise the role without a follow on for 2018.unless we have an individual who wishes to be nominated for Vice Commodore. All roles (Port Captain, Fleet Captain, Treasurer, Secretary, Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore, Commodore, Board Member) are open for nominations in order to be on the ballot. Those currently serving can be nominated, although a new face will certainly be welcomed. Becoming involved with the operation of a yacht club can be an interesting experience...you will learn more about how the club works and allow you to inject a part of yourself in the works (creativity is encouraged) as much flexibility is allowed in performing the usual procedures. Little or no experience is required...just being ready to roll up your sleeves and be willing to help out is only necessary. The existing staff and members will provide the mentorship needed to point the way to help you negotiate the path of operations and have fun and satisfaction in doing it. This method is how all of us have accomplished our roles. A great benefit is that of becoming a part of the yachting community by attending the annual Opening Days performed by the SCYA yacht clubs up and down the coast...a chance to visit other clubs, their facilities and meet their members. We are asking you to consider taking the next step as a member and stick your toe in the water! If any questions, please contact Nate Tucker at barnat@ca.rr.com or Three Sheets in the Wind Page 5

6 On Island Time By Debbie Terrell Life is full of experiences that affect us; shape & change us and, if we re lucky, inspire & enrich us. To live and work for 13 years on Santa Cruz Island, a 96 square mile oasis located 25 miles off the southern California coast, is one of those extraordinary life experiences. Tremendous thanks to all of you who attended the Sept 30 member meeting and allowed me to share some of my island times with the members providing the heavy lifting, skilled technical support and for being such kind listeners to this reluctant public speaker. I ve always been an animal rescuer, a nature lover, a tree hugger and even possibly an eco weenie. But when the call came from The Nature Conservancy asking me to interview for a position on the island, I will confess that I hesitated. At the time I was happily living and working as a chef at a fly -in fishing resort on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska, and was pretty sure I was already in island heaven. A sensible person suggested a real full time job with benefits might come in handy if one ever planned to own a house or even a good car. He made a good point. It was one of my better life decisions. While I did end up with the house and car, there is really no way to place a value on my good fortune to work with so many interesting and devoted colleagues, educators, donors, volunteers, researchers, artists, family and friends on so many immensely rewarding projects. And remarkably it has allowed me to become one of the fortunate few to have called the island home for a little while. Over the past 10,000 years Santa Cruz Island has hosted an amazing array of inhabitants from ancient indigenous societies dependent on the marine harvest, through smugglers & bootleggers and vintners & ranchers. It has a rich cultural history and has passed through many hands from Spanish-Mexican land grant status, through generations of private family ranching operations and finally today is managed within one of our National Parks. It is a true natural treasure right in our own backyard and is well worth exploring through the many books written about it or even better to inspire and enrich yourself with a visit. Some of my favorite island books if you enjoy the classics (and haven t read them since the 5 th grade) are Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O Dell and Richard Henry Dana s Two Years Before the Mast. Santa Barbaran Margaret Eaton s Diary of a Sea Captain s Wife is a sweet and humble tale of a simpler life with her husband Ira running the Pelican Bay Club resort on the island in the early 1900 s. And while I m not completely sure if it s allowed to mention a book you ve actually never read I recently became aware of a novel set in recent times: When the Killing s Done by T.C. Boyle is a family and environmental drama set on Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island. It s on my to-read list and will happily pass it on when I m finished if anyone is interested. While no reservations or permits are required to land on the islands administered by the National Park Service, sailors who anchor in harbors on the western 76% of SCI and want to land on Nature Conservancy property can apply online at If you have questions you can contact TNC s Amy Parks (805) scilandingpermit@tnc.org. Permits applied for online are not issued automatically. Amy reviews applicant s information and processes permits on average every two weeks, so it s important to plan ahead when visiting on your own boat. Island Packer Cruises, the transportation concessionaire for the Park Service, operates day trips and transportation for campers to SCI including landings at Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoner s Harbor (805) info@islandpackers.com See photos next page... Three Sheets in the Wind Page 6

7 On Island Time photos... Entrance to Painted Cave 19th century bunk house Vaqueros driving cattle onto the pier for transport Three Sheets in the Wind Page 7 Pelican Bay

October 2016 S U N MON T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T 1 2 3 4 5 6

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 SHED CLEAN UP 30 31 HOLLOWEEN More events at

8 October 2016 S U N MON T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T COLUMBUS DAY LSFYC SHED CLEAN UP HOLLOWEEN More events at click [Events/Photos] Three Sheets in the Wind Page 8

2016 LSFYC Bridge OPERATIONS STAFF Commodore: Rob Sonz Vice Commodore: Dick O Reilly Fleet Captain: Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel Port Captain : Larry Finley Treasurer: Dick Martin BOARD OF DIRECTORS Junior

9 2016 LSFYC Bridge OPERATIONS STAFF Commodore: Rob Sonz Vice Commodore: Dick O Reilly Fleet Captain: Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel Port Captain : Larry Finley Treasurer: Dick Martin BOARD OF DIRECTORS Junior Staff Comm: Pax Starksen Director: S/C Tom Cornelius Director: David Haas Director: Todd Smith Director: Robert West OTHER CONTACTS Membership Chairman: David Haas Newsletter: S/C Frank Franco Webmaster: S/C Ben Smith Three Sheets in the Wind Page 9

Three Sheets in the Wind

Three Sheets in the Wind T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E L I T T L E S H I P S F L E E T Y A C H T C L U B ( E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 3 7 ) 2 3 3 M A R I N A D R I V E, L O N G B E A