Three Sheets in the Wind

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Three Sheets in the Wind"

Amber Neal
5 years ago
Views:

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

Back on June 23 rd our own Captain Jack Sparrow VC Todd Smith gave an account (see page 2) about sailing around the Caribbean.

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 53, Issue 7 lsfyc.org July, 2017 Commodore s Report By Rob Sonz Happy Fourth of July... I realize many of you may have lost some sleep (I know I did) wondering what the &%$## happened to the June newsletter!...well, there wasn t one (the publisher fell asleep at the press!). But to make up for it, please enjoy this issue. See inside this issue for Mexico & Catalina adventures taken by LSFYC s intrepid Port Captain Larry Finley. Summer is here and let s all enjoy being out on the water boating. Back on June 23 rd our own Captain Jack Sparrow VC Todd Smith gave an account (see page 2) about sailing around the Caribbean. Everyone who attended the dinner meeting at Mimi s café (see photos below) not only listened to the adventure Todd and his family enjoyed, but learned one or two things about the process of creating a future trip to the US Virgin Islands & BVI. This is a great time to explore our own local waters as well. Catalina or maybe sail north to the Channel Islands? The LSFYC Race committee will host our 2 nd race (Beat the Heat) of the season, Saturday July 15 th. Treasurer Dick Martin will be the PRO and VC Todd Smith will provide the committee boat. Hope there is plenty of breeze for all racers. Unlike the America s Cup boats, the crew doesn t have to keep the oil pumping in order to activate the foils. Speaking of the America s Cup, I see that team New Zealand dominated the racing series and won this year s event. A big difference in the NZ boat vs US boat; they used cyclist apparatus vs traditional double coffee grinder wrenches to pump the hydraulic oil. I might have to incorporate my 12 speed bike on my Cal-20? July is a time many of us travel by boating; as well as by car and plane to further destinations. Explore new points of interest or enjoy time with our friends and family. Wish everyone safe and pleasant travels this month. Celebrate your independence! Three Sheets in the Wind Page 1

Vice Commodores Report By Todd Smith Cruising in the BVIs At the June 23 LSFYC General Membership Meeting, I spoke about the logistics of traveling to the British Virgin Islands.

2 Vice Commodores Report By Todd Smith Cruising in the BVIs At the June 23 LSFYC General Membership Meeting, I spoke about the logistics of traveling to the British Virgin Islands. I have been 4 times and 2 as captain. So to recount my experiences... The most direct flights are through Miami and on to St. Thomas, but there are others that may be cheaper to go through Atlanta or other cities if you are okay to have a longer layover. I ve done both. I liked to stay the 1st night on St. Thomas at Bluebeard s Castle, however they are no longer open for hotel, only visiting. There are plenty of others to choose from that are reasonable. You can walk to nice restaurant s in the area. We preferred the Green House as it is open air. The next day you would get on a ferry and travel to Tortola, unless you are chartering from St. Thomas (there are not as many boats available here). You get on your boat and then secure your provisions. We used Visailing.com as a broker for help. The main three charters are Sunsail, Moorings, and Footloose. But there are others. These guarantee 4 hours repair if you have a problem. I ve sailed with all. You can be your own captain or hire a captain only as well as a chef if you like. A captain is nice if you don t want to do much work. The islands are all within line of sight and only 8-9 miles apart. Only a couple are farther. Even if you don t have a lot of sailing experience but only power boats, you would be fine on this trip, as you often put around without sail. Here is an example of the itinerary: Day 1: Sail to the Bight which is Norman Island. Lots of great snorkeling and a great party on the Pirate ship in the bay. Day 2: Head out early and put down anchor on your own private beach on Peter Island for breakfast not very far away, then visit Salt Island for a few hours and then moor at Cooper Island for the night. I recommend having dinner there. Day 3: Have breakfast and head out to Marina Cay and get a mooring. Marina Cay has a great outdoor restaurant. Make sure you have a Painkiller" drink. Day 4: Head out at 7 am for the Baths on "Virgin Gorda and get the best spot. It gets crowded. Check out the top after the caves. You have to swim ashore here after tying your dinghy to the string line. Then leave after lunch and head to the Bitter End Yacht Club for a mooring. You might want to stay 2 nights and relax. Nice reef to snorkel by dinghy. Day 5: Bitter End or make a 5 hour trip to Anagada Island. Excellent restaurant on the beach have the lobster. Day 6: Set sail for Sandy Cay early and snorkel. Enjoy the white sand beach, but leave at noon for the bay on Jost Van Dyke where Foxy s restaurant is. Make sure you make a reservation as moorings go quickly. Day 7: Set sail for Cane Garden on Tortola. Day 8: Head back to Road Town on Tortola. You may want to stay an extra night in St. Thomas before you flight home. I do. (con t next page) Three Sheets in the Wind Page 2 (

Cruising in the BVIs (cont) I ve travelled during the Christmas winds season in January where the winds get up to 40 knots and the swells get to 8 or 9 feet.

3 Cruising in the BVIs (cont) I ve travelled during the Christmas winds season in January where the winds get up to 40 knots and the swells get to 8 or 9 feet. The water is also colder during that time and not as enjoyable...still beautiful though. The nicest time to go is April or May, however June 1st is less expensive and when I usually book. But I have gone in Sept. which is a risky because of hurricane season. The costs range: 1. $35/day provisions. This includes meals for all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for all but three dinners. Alcohol not included. 2. Monohull boats are generally $2500 to $3500 depending on size, etc. 3. Catamaran boats are $3500 to $4500 with generators. I recommend this for the air conditioning. I would only do this from now on during the summer season. Make a trip! Three Sheets in the Wind Page 3

Fleet Captain Report By Geoff Vanden Heuvel Murray Gordon Memorial Race June 4... The annual Murray Gordon Memorial Race sponsored by Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club was held on June 4, 2017.

4 Fleet Captain Report By Geoff Vanden Heuvel Murray Gordon Memorial Race June 4... The annual Murray Gordon Memorial Race sponsored by Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club was held on June 4, The PRO was Dick Martin with Dick O Reilly. We also thank Debbie Terrell for providing the Committee boat. It was a typical June gloom day, with very mild temperatures, overcast skies and light breezes. Ten boats showed up to race including four one design Schock 35 s. The A and B fleets and the Schocks were sent on a 11.6 mile course that took them out and around the left side of the breakwater headed up back out in the ocean and coming back through Queen s Gate. From there it was down to Mark 39 near Shoreline Marina for a starboard rounding, then up to the wall at Mark 31 near the bait barge for a port rounding down to Mark 33 in the middle of the Belmont Shore beach for a starboard rounding. From there the fleets were headed back into the channel for a finish in front of the NYCLB clubhouse. A very long race for a light air day. Dos Amigos Dos took first in the A fleet and Fiat Lux took first in the B fleet and Impulse won the Schock fleet contest. The single non-spin boat was given a 8 mile course and finished in 2 hours as opposed to the other fleets who all took between 2:35-2:45 hours to complete the race. Afterwards, back at the club, the awards were given, stories were swapped, burgers and beer (provided by Rob Sonz, Moti Cohen Doron, Todd Smith and Frank Franco) were consumed and a good time was had by all. There is a very nice 10 minute video of the race put together by Paul Sorenson who was riding on Dos Amigos Dos. See page 6 for photos and you can watch Paul s video on Youtube at : Beat the Heat race... Our next Little Ships race is July 15. This entrant in the Long Beach Harbor Series is named the Beat the Heat Race. I am still looking for a crew member for the Committee boat. Dick Martin will be the PRO again and when you see him next, thank him sincerely for his willingness to be our PRO. He always does a great job and we appreciate him enormously. Todd Smith will be providing the Committee boat for this race. Again we have several boats from our club that race and if you do not have a boat to crew on and would like to crew, let me know (via the website) and I will do my best to get you on a racing boat. If racing is not your thing, come join us at the after race party starting about 3 pm at the NYCLB clubhouse (by the gas dock). In the meantime enjoy your summer! Three Sheets in the Wind Page 4

South Coast Corinthian of Redondo also participated in the cruise.

Dingys can easily beach on the sand and enjoy the picnic tables, bbq s, refrigerator, hot showers, toilets and plenty of shade in this private area that is tucked into a small canyon

There were lots of cocktail hours, dinners, camp fires and breakfasts planned, and the size of the facility made it very comfortable for all that attended.

5 Port Captain s Report By Larry Finley The Catalina Cruise to Emerald Bay As mentioned in the May newsletter, Little Ships Fleet YC members were invited to cruise to the Corsair Yacht Club Emerald Bay Facility on June 23, 24 and 25. The cruise was hosted by the Hurricane Gultch Yacht Club and The Single Sailors of Long Beach. South Coast Corinthian of Redondo also participated in the cruise..the Corsair Yacht Club rented their facility to us for the weekend and having 30 or 40 boats attend made the cost quite reasonable. Dingys can easily beach on the sand and enjoy the picnic tables, bbq s, refrigerator, hot showers, toilets and plenty of shade in this private area that is tucked into a small canyon next to the beach...adjacent to the Boy Scout Camp. There were lots of cocktail hours, dinners, camp fires and breakfasts planned, and the size of the facility made it very comfortable for all that attended. Emerald Bay is quite more rustic than the Isthmus, and snorkeling or scuba diving is excellent in this area. The weather couldn t have been better. I anchored near Indian Rock as I usually do, and enjoyed snorkeling in feet of crystal clear water. Even with the warm weather and the large amount of boats attending, the bay was quite vacant, with only 40% or so of the anchor balls taken up by Saturday. I plan to go out there after Labor Day. This may be a recurring event and LSFYC members are invited to attend the next outing. Three Sheets in the Wind Page 5

6 LSFYC Murray Gordon Race photos... At the finish line LSFYC Committee boat A Fleet trophy presentation PRO Dick Martin at work B Fleet trophy presented Schock 35 trophy presented Non spin trophy presented Trophy presentation with burgers n beer at NYCLB Dick O Reilly, Frank Franco and Moti Cohen-Doron getting ready to serve the burgers at the after race party. Three Sheets in the Wind Page 6

My Experience of Sailing & Cruising in the Sea of Cortez By Larry Finley I enjoy sailing, but I realize that my lifestyle will never allow me to spent the months required to sail my 27 ft boat to the

7 My Experience of Sailing & Cruising in the Sea of Cortez By Larry Finley I enjoy sailing, but I realize that my lifestyle will never allow me to spent the months required to sail my 27 ft boat to the Sea of Cortez, store it, and then arrange for the return trip. Latitude 38 has a Baja Ha Ha website that lists potential boat skippers and crew. The list is world wide, but I listed myself as a crew member who wanted to sail the Ha Ha, Sea of Cortez Bash, or crossing from Mexico mainland to Cabo. I was invited to crew the Bash in February, but the weather would not allow boats to return. However, an invitation extended to crew the islands in May was quite a gift, so I committed myself to the journey. Our Cruise started in La Paz... I arranged to meet the captain and boat in La Paz. La Paz is quite popular because of its low cost and safety. There are flights going from LAX to LAP, but I discovered that the best way to travel to La Paz is to take a Greyhound bus to Tijuana, spend the night, then fly on to La Paz on a domestic flight. The Sea of Cortez islands are in sight as soon as you sail out of La Paz. Too many islands to choose from... There are dozens of islands in the sea or Cortez. There is a chain of islands about 4 miles off of the Baja coast from Cabo to Bahia De Los Angeles, and the captain was interested in touring the islands and land anchorages from La Paz to Loreto. The sea of Cortez has a unique wind pattern. There is a warm Mexico mainland, a hot peninsula with high mountains, a warm Pacific ocean water to the south and cold water in the north and this combination creates winds that usually blow from the Northwest. The speed and duration is unpredictable. During the Spring, Southerly winds, called the Coromuels, occur in the evening till late morning. These winds allow an easier cruise north, but there is little sailing because the winds pick up and die at any moment. We rarely had sails up for more than a few hours as bare masts are the norm for boats cruising the Sea of Cortez. Having access to someone else s boat is the best way to enjoy the Sea of Cortez & islands I believe that the optimum boats for cruising the Sea of Cortez are small cabin cruisers or catamarans. These boats can motor for a small amount of fuel and can duck into the shallow anchorages. Sailboats have the disadvantage of a deeper draft. Most of the anchorages have a sandy shoreline with a shallow sandy bottom. The deeper draft areas do not allow as much wind protection. The local fishermen use pangas which are 20 foot open boats with an outboard. They are fast and durable, and can be beached. The large powerboats are usually chartered by tourists who want a simple and effortless cruise. I was warned about tides, but this area doesn t seem to have any. I have been to San Felipe where the shoreline recedes 1000 feet, but here it is no more than 3 or 4 feet. There are two tides in a day. High tide and low tide. There is a bump 6 hours later. We didn t have tide charts. The bottoms were quite shallow. We would anchor in 20 feet of water in the evening and wake up with the boat swinging to the shallows in low tide with 12 feet of water. (con t next page) Three Sheets in the Wind Page 7

Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) Same with currents. I could feel currents at the ends of horseshoe coves, but nothing like Southern California rip tides. Necessities.

8 Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) Same with currents. I could feel currents at the ends of horseshoe coves, but nothing like Southern California rip tides. Necessities... A cruising boat in the Sea of Cortez will require a stout anchor and the boats that I saw all have Bruce style anchors with 200 feet of chain and an electric windlass. A cruising boat in these waters will also require a water maker. There is simply no water available. This is no different than the water availability of the Channel Islands. Obtaining water from the mainland water sources when the boat is docked is rare. A reverse osmosis water maker can produce a gallon with 10 watt hours of electricity. This will easily drain a battery if a large amount of water is desired. The water makers can be run off of the engine alternator during the motoring, or with a generator. The use of generators seem popular at night when boats are anchored in close proximity to other boats. A refrigerator is necessary if you are cruising the Sea of Cortez. There are few places where you can buy perishables or even ice. Shade covering the cockpit is essential. Even the pangas have biminis. Most cruising boats that I saw have bug screens around the cockpit as the biggest problem I experienced was bees. Bees will gather on the boat in the morning to drink the water that accumulated on the deck. We showered on the swim step with fresh water and it was sometimes necessary to wash off the fresh water with salt water after showering to eliminate the bee hazard. It is rare to find cellular telephone transmission towers along the coastline. Sea of Cortez cruising boats can communicate with marine VHF radio for a distance of 25 to 30 miles. Longer distances require HF frequencies, and marine frequencies are allocated and a FCC license is given to ship operators who apply. Ham Radio communication is popular and anyone can listen to ham operator frequencies. The advantage of these radio communications is that any number of people can listen and networks are established where everyone gathers at one frequency at a certain time. A land based transmitter can read weather forecasts for the boats that are tuned in. Boaters can provide weather and destination information as well. A cruising network can relay personal information to the cruising boaters. A cruising boat will need a dingy as there are few marinas, and there are no marinas that I saw that has a shore boat service. The dingys should have an outboard motor and wheels to beach the dingy if it is an inflatable. With that said, I have talked to cruisers who have sailed the Sea of Cortez without half of the amenities that I have listed. It is simply a matter of comfort and the availability of new technology. What will you do?... What will you do in the Sea of Cortez? The water is warm and you can anchor in coves and stay as long as you wish. I found plenty of opportunities to snorkel although I did not find any spectacular sites. The water was clear to a distance of 30 feet. There were small schools of colorful fish, and occasionally large schools of fish, but no remarkable plant or kelp growth. (con t next page) Three Sheets in the Wind Page 8

Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) Manta rays hid in the sand until you swam too close. I was sailing late in the spring, and most whales were migrating north I m told.

9 Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) Manta rays hid in the sand until you swam too close. I was sailing late in the spring, and most whales were migrating north I m told. I occasionally saw dolphins and seals, but nothing different than you would see of our coast line. We did anchor in a village that had a resort hotel. The village Tienda simply had very little to offer. Same with the resort hotel. Once you are spoiled with the food and drink at the towns you aren t interested in the low quality and high prices that the resorts offer. There is an opportunity to use internet and catch up with the nonsense at home. I found the free internets to be slow and unreliable. It is as if they wanted to keep you disconnected with the default world as a public service. The treat that we found was fishermen who would come up to your boat and ask what they could catch for you for dinner. You simply ordered what you wanted: lobster, clams, tuna, or fillets. The fisherman came back an hour later with your catch. The prices that they ask were reasonable, and a cold beer was warmly received. Sometimes they would ask for a jug of water to be refilled. They were grateful to be given canned goods that we didn t need. There are hiking trails in some of the coves and other coves h a v e a c c e s s roads. Sunsets are important and evening activities revolve around watching sunsets. There was plenty of red sky on the Baja mainland, and the spectacular sunsets were sometimes blocked by the small mountains that made up our cove. I learned to tie a bowline knot as I had plenty of free time to learn. This is probably why sailors know so many knots...lots of free time. If you enjoy staring at barren rocky coastline, you are in luck as there are thousands of miles of rocky nothing to see. If you enjoy watching television shows or listening to talk radio you will be disappointed. You might be on a boat that has a DVR player for movies, but there is a better chance that the boat has a small library. I met cruisers who had cruised for a year or so and were planning to place their boats on the hard during the summer and go home to the USA. They were quite concerned of having to listen to the nonsense that our media bombards us with every day. Some people fish as a sport, others like myself are closet fishermen who will drop a hand line when no one is looking. References... There are a few good sailing reference books for sailing in the Sea of Cortez. Sea of Cortez Cruising Guide by Jerry Cunningham has extensive coverage of the entire sea. He has written several editions, and you should choose an edition that covers the area you wish to cruise. Sea of Cortez, a cruisers guide by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bransmer gives an encompassing view of anchoring, hiking, scuba, snorkeling and land touring of the Southern Sea of Cortez. The Baja Boaters Guide by Jack Williams gives a quick oversight of anchorages in the Sea of Cortez. He discusses the anchorages that he has personally visited in his book. The National Geographic roadmap of Baja is valuable. You will get an idea of the roads, terrain behind the first ridge of mountains. The cruising guides offer some feeling of confidence, but I noticed small coves and anchorages along the coastline and islands that might be spectacular, but may be overlooked. Three Sheets in the Wind Page 9 (con t next page)

Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) We had planned to drop me off in Loreto in early June, but easterly winds made the anchorage outside the port somewhat risky.

It appears that they can store boats on land, but they don t seem to be able to make repairs or sell marine supplies.

10 Cruising in the Sea of Cortez (cont) We had planned to drop me off in Loreto in early June, but easterly winds made the anchorage outside the port somewhat risky. We sailed to Puerto Escondido instead, and picked up a mooring ball. Puerto Escondido is a large very well protected harbor. It appears that they can store boats on land, but they don t seem to be able to make repairs or sell marine supplies. From there I took a taxi to Loreto, which is a small town, and it does have an International Airport and an Alaska Air flight to LAX twice a week. I decided that it would be more interesting to travel home by bus, so I took an 18 hour bus ride up Highway 1 for 600 miles to TJ instead, then headed back home. Three Sheets in the Wind Page 10

July 2017 S U N MON T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 LSFYC BOD MEET- ING 4 JULY 4th 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 LSFYC

11 July 2017 S U N MON T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T LSFYC BOD MEET- ING 4 JULY 4th LSFYC RACE ` More events at click [Events/Photos] Three Sheets in the Wind Page 11

12 2017 LSFYC Bridge OPERATIONS STAFF Commodore: Rob Sonz Vice Commodore: Todd Smith Fleet Captain: Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel Port Captain : Larry Finley Treasurer: Dick Martin BOARD OF DIRECTORS Junior Staff Comm: Pax Starksen Director/Staff Comm: Tom Cornelius Director: David Haas Director: Robert West Director: Moti Cohen Doron Director: Debra Terrell OTHER CONTACTS Membership Chairman: David Haas Newsletter: S/C Frank Franco Webmaster: S/C Ben Smith Three Sheets in the Wind Page 12

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