A letter of Dismay
Over the week of the 4th of July, I had the thrill of taking my daughter (7 years) out on my parent’s 45’ ketch. It was a great time, however, I am writing to express my dismay with people and their attitudes in the San Juan Islands.
Now, as a former native of Anacortes for the better part of 20 years, I am no stranger to the area, or the influx of people. Heck, I remember Anacortes when it still had a draw bridge and only 3,000 people.
The thing which surprised me the most was the rudeness and carelessness of people boating today. From boats trying to cut you off before a pass, to people of all ages speeding through an anchorage or in a no wake zone. Have most NW boaters lost their minds?
Take for example Roche Harbor. We came in on July 3rd to collect some food and depart again. We quickly anchored up and went to shore. The first thing which surprised me was how many people were speeding around in runabouts at full speed! It was already a zoo there, and with the sea planes and tight quarters, the last thing needed was a bunch of Zodiacs or Boston Whalers doing 50 mph between boats. The really interesting part was how many of these people doing the speeding were natives to the island! Shame on you! Sure, your island becomes crazy once a week every year, deal with it. I did for over 20 years in Anacortes.
The second part was an encounter with another boat at Pole Pass. Now, most people get in line and file through Pole Pass one at a time. We were almost to the pass, within 50 feet, and a cat style power boat tried to pass us going into the pass. Okay, so now he is beside us and clearly not knowing what to do, floors it to make it through before going on the rocks. So, inside a no wake zone, this person is doing 20+ knots trying to avoid a collision. The worst part, it was a dealer boat being driven by a broker. Once again, shame on you! If you had waited a couple of minutes, we would have been through and you could have raced off then.
Kayaks. What would prompt you to try and make a crossing in 25 knot winds in a max flow tide with 2+ foot waves and no life jackets? Even in a sailboat which is only doing 6.5 knots, you are hard enough to see. I think all kayakers need to have paddles which are reflective to help be seen.
Finally, we are all boaters having a good time, be friendly. My daughter and I had just spent the day working on a wood fort on the beach. We were both proud of it and as we were leaving, a couple with two kids, probably 8 and 10, were coming down the path to the beach. I told them as we got closer that we had just built a great fort and to have a good time. The look I got from the mom was something between fear and loathing. Come on, we are on Sucia Island, drop the city attitudes and be friendly.
Sure, while some people have a hard time with change, I am usually a proponent of it. However, this is one time where I feel the change is not in the best interest of the San Juan’s permanent residents or visitors. Maybe all boaters need to have some type of etiquette class when you file for the new license. Sorry for the rant.
Thank you.
Eric Armstrong
Unfortunately Eric, it’s not an uncommon rant, specially on a mega-weekend where everyone and his brother are determined to have max fun all at once. I wish there was an etiquette part of the class for boating cards, but it would just be another attempt at legislating common sense, much like the boating course itself. As far as friendliness goes, it’s too bad people bring that guarded attitude to the islands, it just shows they need to get out on the water more and lighten up a bit, or a lot. Nice fort Amy.
Coming Back Down - Hello everyone from Alaska.
My husband Roger and I will be setting sail on Java at the end of June. We are currently living aboard in Craig, Alaska. We plan to spend the summer cruising south thru B.C. returning to St. Helens, Oregon around the first of September.
We left St. Helens May 1, 2004. We enjoyed cruising Alaska so much we decided to stay for a while. Now, after four winters, we are ready to head south! We have started a sailing blog, so if anyone is interested they can tag along with us. The address is http://sailblogs.com/member/sailboatjava. We will try to update it as often as we can. I hope I can make it as fun for you as it will be for us.
We just hauled Java out of the water. The City of Craig has a new hydraulic haul out trailer and it is so cool to watch. They hauled us out onto the wash down pad where we scraped and pressure washed the bottom. We checked all thru-hulls and put on new zinc. We left our slip at 11:15 AM and were back by 2:30 PM. Total haul out time was three hours, at a cost of $200, including the pressure washer. Not a bad deal. We are almost ready, just a few minor things to tidy up. I will be going up the mast to do some repair work on our wind instruments (an eagle landed on it and broke it) but other than that, we are set.
Hope everyone has a great summer, and if you see Java out there, just give us a shout. Until then, take care,
Sandra and Roger Campbell
S/V Java
Leif Weighs In
I was walking through Shilshole Bay Marina this past weekend thinking with sadness about my necessary decision to move my moorage up to Everett to get away from the Port of Seattle’s excessive fees and restrictive rules when I happened to look up at Leif as the sun was setting on another perfect day in the Northwest. He was facing north toward the narrow end of the marina where all the small boats are crowded together now, at least those that can still stomach the rate increases and lack of facilities.
I was not surprised that the likes of Leif Erickson would support the blue collar boating community that once made Shilshole such a great home port. He was here watching over us when the small boat owner was the heart and soul of Shilshole, when the Port viewed us as a constituency rather than a revenue source.
If Leif was a recreational boater at Shilshole today what would he say I wonder:
Sincerely
Mike
S/V Gypsy 
I arrived in this land a long time ago in a small open boat with some of my friends who are into sailing. None of us were very wealthy and we just wanted a place where the average, adventurous Viking could hang out on the weekends, race every now and then, and maybe get a burger and a beer, without having to wear our best armor, you know, casual. We discovered such a place on the shores of Puget Sound and we named it Shilshole, which is Norse for “cost based pricing.” Alas, this idlyic settlement was too good to last and in the end we were defeated by a marauding band of bureaucrats who sacked our peaceful land of Shilshole in search of treasure. My crew of sturdy sailors were no match for the underhanded invading hoard known as the Port of Seattle. Oh how they pillaged and plundered in the name of “maximum return on investment” and “market rate pricing.”
To make a sad, long story short; there were very few of my kind (retired explorers of modest means) who could afford to stay in the wonderful land of Shilshole once their treasure had been plundered time and time again by the heartless minions of the Port of Seattle. Those who hung on and believed the lies of the invaders about “improving the land for everyone, were eventually forced to the far North reaches of the land of Shilshole, where parking was more difficult and the condition of the rest room facilities would even make a Viking blush. The final blow came when the Port’s overlords imposed yet another tax on our use of the land of Shilshole. We must either pay twice as many shekels as we had been charged before, or cut off the figure heads on the front of our long boats, as they were now considered “too long” to fit into the spots we had been occupying for many years. Yes, dear reader, even though our boats were called “longboats” when we got here, and were fine for many years, they were no longer deemed acceptable unless we paid for bigger slips than we needed. The new Barons of Shilshole, it seems would stop at nothing to force out our unsightly, small vessels to make way for ever larger and richer tenants to fill the coffers of the Port with treasure.
So, pray to the Norse Gods for our safe journey as we leave the land of Shilshole and scatter to the four winds in search of friendlier harbors. May we all some day meet again.
Leif E.
Looking for Schooner Merlin
My name is David Large and I own the web site Schoonerlinks.com. I have had a link to your story about the schooner Merlin for some time now; however, I have had several of my web site viewers ask if I know of the current whereabouts of the schooner. Could you please let me know her current condition and location if you know it.
Thank you for your time,
David H. Large
Sea Dragon’s Schooner Links.
http://www.schoonerlinks.com
We haven’t seen her lately, but I’m sure a reader has.
Money for Pics Goes to Junior Sailing
Hey, gang, most of you are aware of Jan Anderson’s terrific offer for raising funds to support junior sailing in the region. This initiative has made quite a hit with a variety of local yacht clubs and yachting/sailing magazines, and, I think, deserves to be announced throughout the entire area. Will you please consider passing this message along to your sailing friends and e-mail contacts?
Junior sailing initiatives are typically grossly underfunded, and that makes it tough for program administrators to do what they need to do. They need the $$ freedom to run junior sailing programs that give our youngsters access to a lifetime sport that teaches teamwork, stewardship, physics, athleticism, critical thinking, and sportsmanship. This is one way YOU can support the program of your choice AND get something tangible in return ... a photo!
So here’s “the deal”: Buy one (or more) of Jan’s digital images or prints for a mere $10 each (order form attached), and we will send 100% of that money to the junior sailing program of your choice. That’s right, 100% ... we pocket nothing. Our donation is simply the photography and administrative labor. If you don’t have a favorite junior program in the area, we’ll earmark the funds for Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma’s youth sailing program on the Thea Foss Waterway. Below is the web address to a sampler of Jan’s photos. If you click on it you’ll get to explore the rest of her photo “sets”, some 6,500 photos in all. If you’d like a real close look at the photos, try clicking on “Slide Show” ... WOW!
http://www.flickr.com/gp/75869001@N00/e94w02
Captain Skip Anderson
Vice President, Tacoma Waterfront Association
Founding Director, Tacoma Community Sailing
USCG Licensed Master 1171259
Hello 48ers from Fakarava
I couldn’t resist sending you my photos of my hosts, Sally and Brad Bagshaw of s.v. Pax Vobiscum, and of myself holding your fine publication. When Sally and Brad emailed me May 9 to ask if I would be interested in sailing with them for a few weeks in French Polynesia (silly question) and could I be there in 7-10 days (not so silly a question), I emailed “YES, Thank You”, got a ticket to Nuku Hiva, packed my bags, threw in my April ?48° North, and arrived eight days later. Of note, Sally and Brad are friends of a friend of mine; I had never met them before.
We sailed from the island of Nuku Hiva and ended up in Fakarava (Tuomotu Islands) where I, sadly, had to disembark and fly home. We all enjoyed your magazine on our 7-day passage from the Marquesa Islands to the Tuomotu Islands.
These photos were taken June 5, 2008, on the Tuomotu island of Fakarava, town of Rotoava, at a lovely, low-key camping “resort” called Relais Marama. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Capt. Elena Leonard
Seattle, WA
BOATING ACTION ALERT
Boaters encouraged to support Clean Boating Act
There is an issue in Congress that will dramatically affect boaters throughout the country. This issue is critical and needs action now.
You may have read about the Clean Boating Act (S.2766) that is before the U.S. Congress. I want you to know that the Northwest Marine Trade Association (who produces the annual Seattle Boat Show) has been working for passage of this bill for a very long time. Getting this bill passed is critical for boaters in the United Sates. As of today, neither Washington Senator Murray nor Senator Cantwell has agreed to sponsor S.2766.
If Congress fails to pass this bill by September 30 of this year, then all 17 million recreational vessels will:
* Be covered under a new National Discharge Elimination Permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Federal Government. The permit is 15 pages long and there is another 45 page document just to explain the permit. Boaters will “automatically” be covered under the new permit without even knowing that they are covered or what is required, unless they obtain the permit and understand all the specific obligations outlined in the two documents.
* Be swept up in a federal and state permitting regime for their weather run-off, bilge water, engine cooling water, and other incidental water discharges. Penalties for non-compliance are $32,500 per day per violation and citizen lawsuits.
I encourage you to please take a minute today and contact your US Senators about this issue. You can do this by visiting www.boatblue.org and clicking on ?“Take Action.” On the site is a prepared e-mail that you can send directly to your US Senators, US Representatives, State Governor and President George W. Bush.
Michael Campbell
President
Northwest Marine Trade Association
Producers of the Seattle Boat Show
NEWS FLASH!
We’ve just received word that today, July 22, 2008, both the House and Senate passed S. 2766, “The Clean Boating Act of 2008” which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The legislation now goes to the White House for the President’s signature. Thanks to NMTA and all of you for letting your voices be heard, and to both political parties for recognizing that this was for the good of all. This is a great triumph for recreational boaters.
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