Buchan Memories

Lon Robinson's story in the July issue about the Buchan 37 brought back many fond memories. I was lucky enough to have lived in Bill and Irene's apartment building in the late 50's and early 60's and watched it all happen. They were great times. Thanks to Lon for putting the story down on paper.

George Trusk

It's amazing how many people have commented to me about the Buchan story and then go on to recount their own memorable experiences with Bill Buchan Sr. He's passed on quite a legacy not only in boats but in his sailing decendants as well. It's been my pleasure and privilege to cover the many accomplishments of the Buchan family over the years, and no matter who it has been: John, Bill, Carl, Carol, Mara (and no doubt more to come), they have a style and grace that makes them stand out both on and off the water.

Private Boaters Harrassing Whales

I have to take issue with your commentary and answer to a letter last month regarding the orcas in Rosario Strait. I could go on and on with many facts and personal thoughts but let me tell you that the orcas have been travelling down Rosario Strait on a routine basis for as long as they have been a part of this area. It is nothng new to see them going south in Rosario Strait. Very rarely do they go north in Rosario Strait. They usually go through Active Pass or around Eastpoint, up to or near the Fraser River, then back down Rosario Strait, around Iceberg Point, and up the west side of San Juan Island. During the heavy El Ni–o, the orcas seemed to be using Rosario Strait more than usual, however, most likely because of the lack of salmon. It seems to me you have a private vendetta regarding the whale watch boats. While there are more boats than when I started 11 years ago, the number of boats has actually declined over the past two years. I agree with you, the boats are a visual distraction and are perceived as being the problem. The real fact is that according to research records the biggest offenders of whale harrassment are sailboats. Sailboat operators, whether sailing or most of the time motoring, have the highest record of reported harassment issues. That is a fact!!
      The decline in the population of orcas has everyone very concerned. The largest decline seems to be in L pod. These orcas are the orcas that frequent the San Juans the least. Most of their time, especially during the winter months, is spent offshore. Two years ago they were seen off Monterey Bay. I should mention here that some of the L pod whales were the whales trapped in Dyes Inlet three years ago. Three of those whales died over the winter, maybe because of the stress put on them by the dozens of private boaters and kayakers that surrounded them with no regard for the whales' perdictament. The pod we do see the most, J pod, just had a new born and seems to have stable numbers at this point. I see no correlation with boats and whales here at all. I do agree we need more regulations and enforcement to protect the whales from boats. The commercial operators have already set stricter guidelines than the standard federal guidelines and it seems to be working. We now stay 1/4 mile offshore to give a "no boat zone" and a refuge for the orcas if they want it. It is very distressing when we are trying to follow our guielines and see a private boater on top of the whales. I have a bull horn on my boat and I'm not afraid to use it. To most private boaters a close approach to an orca is an accepted right, thinking the whale enjoys it or the whale is performing just for them. I have seen private boaters go right in the middle of whales sleeping, mating and trying to forage for food. It is not the commercial boaters Rich, it's the private boats that need the education.

Tom Averna
Deer Harbor Charters
Orcas Island

Although I don't think I've singled out the commercial whale watching boats, you do have a point. As a pleasure boater, when I see the whale watching boats, laden with tourists, roaring by me every day toward the latest sighting, it's easy to think they are a big part of the problem. But I have to say, when coming upon a group of boats watching the whales, the commercial boats are the ones that keep their distance, while everyone else jockeys around for a better look. We don't even go over there anymore because we'd be lucky to even get a glimpse of the whales through all the hulls. You have to admit, for an animal that depends on hearing to live, all those motors must make life a little confusing.
      Thanks for clearifying what's going on with the whale's route. My understanding, from watching a TV interview with a orca expert a while back, was that, as the salmon population decreased, the San Juan whales (J pod) were going outside Vancouver Island to feed, and there was speculation as to their also trying to get away from all the attention they receive in the San Juans. That's what I get for believing to newscast speculations.
      The whale regulations state that everyone must stay at least 100 yards from the whales. Let's all remember that the next time we're fortunate enough to see these magnificent animals.

You Only Go Down the Coast Once So Stop and Smell the Roses

I read Jim Colwell's letter and agree. Linda and I left Portland, June 1, 1998, and harbor hopped all the way to Mazatlan, Mexico. Some of our most memorable times were in places we hadn't planned to stop, like Bandon, Oregon.
      It was getting late in the afternoon and we didn't want to do an overnight so we stopped. The harbormaster was a very nice man that I was able to bargain with. When he told me it was $10 a night, I asked where we could anchor, as I couldn't afford the rates. He said how about $30 if we stayed a week, water and dock, no electricity. I said I could afford that. Bandon has a cheese factory and we would go there every morning and sample all the cheeses ( the ones we liked, more than once) then go to the ice cream counter and buy a large waffle cone. I swear it held a pint of icecream, for only $1.10!
      Crescent City has a great yacht club and very friendly. One of the members took us around town and out to see the Redwoods, invited us to join their July 4th sail parade around the harbor, and to their dock party.
      Anchored at Santa Cruz Island with about 10 other boats, we watched a nude couple come into the anchorage, very slowly, wind all through the boats before anchoring 100' in front of us. She immediately took a shower up on the fore deck.
      Anchored in Sausalito and watching the fog blow under the Golden Gate and obscure San Fransisco while we were in sunshine and warm — sailing up the delta and the Sacremento River — you would miss these experiences if you sailed out 200 miles and went straight down to San Diego. We left early enough to do this and took until October to reach San Diego.
      We harbor hopped down the Mexican coast and only had two overnights to Cabo. Read Jack Williams book about Mag Bay lagoon and stop there for awhile. There are sand dunes right out of Arabian Nights, and no bugs if you stay away from the mangroves. Picture this: anchored in calm, flat water next to a sand dune and listening to the surf a 100 yards away on the otherside. Read Kelly and Kira's Fishing the Baja for info on the lagoon, with hand drawn charts that have great detail with depths. I thought all of the Baja was going to be like this so we only spent three weeks there. Had I known differently, I would have spent three months. We left San Diego, October 27th, and arrived in Mazatlan, December 16th.
      You're only going down the coast once so stop and smell the roses. Keep a journal as your friends will love to read it.

Ron and Linda Caywood
lindacaywood@hotmail.com

Flying Protest Flag at First Opportunity Not Always a Time Issue

To Ed von Wolffersdorff: The Racing Rules
Ed, I'm an Annapolis sailor who ran into an interesting situation recently and hope you might be able to help me.
     First, I have subscribed to 48° North for the last two plus years mostly because I enjoy your column and, of course, to see what boats are winning in your area, being we are both light wind areas and alot of good ideas come from your part of the country. Enough sucking up, but true.
      I was part of a protest recently where the race committee was hard over that a protest flag must be up in 30 seconds. I won the protest and did not make a big thing of 30 seconds while the case was being protested, but now that I have won I believe that race committees should not use a number but ask questions and then determine if the red flag was displayed at the "first reasonable opportunity". I believe/hope protest committee persons are selected for their experience level and should not just state that the flag must be flown in 30 seconds. Is there an appeal case that covers this in the U.S., what about ISAF, or another English speaking country?
      I went back through some old issues and in May 2000 you stated in the second paragraph that in a recent US Sailing appeal, it was found that the crew of a three person boat stood by for 20 seconds etc. What was the appeal number and how does one get on a distribution list of the findings of U.S. Sailing Appeal Cases?
      Any other thoughts or direction would be appreciated. cheers.

Guy Ballou
Annapolis, MD

Ed von Wolffersdorff replies:

Hope the following will take care of your questions concerning hails of "Protest", etc. Copies of U.S. SAILING Appeals and IYRU Cases may be obtained via: U.S. SAILING, PO Box 1260, Portsmouth, RI, or phone 1-800-878-2451. The document contains over 70 U.S. appeals, along with questions submitted to U.S. SAILING. Included is a section of some 80 "Racing Rules Cases". The case histories are appeals of various member nations of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). In addition to this gold mine you may wish to contact the Canadian Yachting Association (CYA at 1600 James Naismith Drive, Gloucester, Ontario K1B 5N4, Canada, telephone 613-748-5687. Their publication CYA Appeals, contains about 80 Canadian appeals that are also worth studying. The appeal that you asked about wherein the crew stood by for 20 seconds while the skipper examined the transom and rudder of their boat after being contacted by another, was U.S. Appeal "Thistle 635 vs. Thistle 2641. Following the 20 second transom examination by the skipper with the crew standing by, the spinnaker was raised etc. and then the flag was flown. With the crew standing by for 20 seconds without flying the flag, it was deemed that the "first reasonable opportunity" to display the flag had passed. It just happens that I was chairman of the protest committee that heard that protest.
      In another appeal, with seconds to the start of a race and while maneuvering on starboard tack for the start, an Island 37 was struck from windward in her aft starboard quarter by a 39' trimaran. The trimaran's port ama entered the hull of the mono hull creating a sizable hole in her starboard topside below the waterline.
      The crews of both boats spent a period of time disengaging the two vessels. Considerable action had to be taken by all crew members of both boats to separate the hulls and to keep the mono hull from sinking while trying to reach her dock and bring a power pump into action.
      The monohull filed a protest that was denied by the protest committee on the grounds that "The protesting yacht failed to inform protected yacht or race committee of intentions." The mono hull filed an appeal.
      In her appeal, the mono hull declared that she did inform the multihull of her intent to protest and stated that she did not fly a protest flag due to the severity of the damage and her endeavors to save the boat and lives. Also, that at no time was it feasible for her crew to stop their emergency work and hoist a protest flag. Members of the crew were busy disengaging the hulls and shifting items from leeward to windward and forward to rise the aft starboard quarter and reduce the entry of seawater. Other members of the crew were busy pumping and maneuvering the boat. Emergency work continued as she retired and had reached a dock.
      The appeals committee determined that it was not practical for the mono hull to have displayed a protest flag because she was a vessel in distress. The protest committee was directed to proceed with a hearing of the protest. I just happend to be chairman of the appeals committee that worked this item also.
      The various conditions involved in a particular situation will determine if a protest flag is/was flown "at the first reasonable opportunity".
      This writer, a U.S. SAILING Judge, believes that a protest committee must review ALL information presented at the opening of a protest hearing and, based upon the testimony presented, determine whether or not the criteria for making a valid protest had been met. Very few cases are the same and each must be carefully examined.
      One would hope that the protest committee involved in the situation that you described would have established the reason for the position that 30 seconds was to long to take in getting the protest flag flying. The amount of time that it took to raise the flag should have been related to events/action taking place. That would determine if a flag has or has not been raised at the first reasonable opportunity.
      Good luck to you in your sailing. It was good to hear from the great Chesapeake Bay area.

Ed von Wolffersdorff
The Racing Rules

Singlehander Towed into Nootka Sound

Heard from an acquaintance that early this July a singlehanded sailor on a boat under 30' was towed in by a lighthouse keeper at Nootka Sound, having requested help because of not having slept in over 24 hours.
      If the facts are as stated, I hope they charged him a significant fee. He should have planned ahead for strategies such as lying ahull or self-steering.
      I wonder if one could prevent washing ashore by lying ahull while streaming anchor and 50 fathoms rode, together with 20-30# sinker. What do you think?

Tom Schubert

I've known folks who've streamed an anchor like you suggested and went to sleep, the theory being that the anchor will set before the boat goes aground. It worked for them, or rather I'd say "it didn't not work for them". I personally couldn't sleep doing that ( oh, me of little faith) especially when you consider the waters in the northwest go from very deep to rocks and islands in an extremely short distance. Of course, we don't know why he hadn't slept in over 24 hours, but I agree with you, you have to plan ahead for such situations, especially when singlehanding. At least it all turned out safely.

Gullickson Not Gillick Deserves Credit

Yes, Pat Gillick has done a wonderful job as general manager of the Mariners, but it was Glen A. Gullickson (not Pat) who wrote the insightful article about sailing from Hilo, Hawaii to Friday Harbor, "Mahalo", in the July 2001 issue of 48° North. Photo credit goes to Susan McGearhart.

Sorry Glen. Guess my computer has that new virus called called Mariner fever.

Richard Hazelton
Editor

Gas Tax Legislative Alert from NMTA

Governor Locke and legislative leaders propose to increase gas taxes on boaters without dedicating the proceeds to build boating facilities.
      Call your legislators and Governor Locke at 1-800-562-6000, and ask them to dedicate the gas taxes paid by boaters to the construction and repair of public boating facilities.
      Governor Gary Locke and legislative leaders are working on a new nine-cent gas tax proposal that will result in 14 cents of gas tax paid by boaters going to the Department of Transportation.
      THIS IS UNFAIR TO BOATERS WHO PAY THE TAX ON GASOLINE USED IN THEIR BOATS.
      Call your legislators and Governor Gary Locke at
1-800-562-6000,
and urge them to oppose any gas tax increase proposal that does not dedicate all gas taxes paid by boaters to build and improve boating facilities!

George Harris

The new Gas Tax Legislation will probably be passed by the time the mag comes out, although it may keep dragging on long enough for our readers to still get a call in. It's always worth a try, even after they've acted. Most laws nowadays are written so as to be ambiguous, so many interpretations are available. Maybe we can influence some of these interpretations.

Clinton Yacht — Inappropriate

Great response to David Hartley after his mean-spirited comments on President Clinton and a royal yacht. It would have been totally inappropriate for the Clinton Administration to have a yacht. They would have had a hospital ship instead... staffed with interns and seamen.

Walt Elliott

When Hillary becomes president, she'll probably have a yacht but don't know about a crew. I think she's more of a singlehander. Okay, enought already.

Is there a "Cooper Club"?

I'm looking for anyone else in this area that owns a Cooper sailboat. Is there a "Cooper club"? I'd like to exchange experiences and maintenance problems. Mine is a 1983 model 316.

Thanks,
Robert Russel
rrus6419@cablespeed.com

Organizing S2 7.9 Fleet

All S2 7.9 owners in the Pacific Northwest interested in organizing a regional fleet please contact John Leyland at jtleyland@yahoo.com or 604-980-0643 x130.

Thanks,
JohnLeyland

Looking for Sleeping Lady

Aloha from Maui!
      I'm trying to track down a gentleman who built a boat in Seattle, which he named Sleeping Lady, and then single-handed to and from Tahiti, twice. I believe he is an English gentleman named Peter Gooch, or perhaps Goouch or maybe Cooch, or some permutation thereof. Whichever it is, he seems to be or have been a masterful craftsman in the art of boat-building, or at least finishing. I believe he now resides in the Seattle area. If anyone around there knows him or knows of him, I would be interested in learning more about the boat. Nancy Johnston's article about Kosrae and Utwe came up in a search, along with the names Sleeping Lady and Seattle, and I figured that was just too much coincidence.
      So, if any one can help me out, it might be worth a pound of Kona or Ka'anapali go-beans.... Daniel Vicars
hisailor@yahoo.com
(808) 572-8010