Just thought I would share this with all of you at 48° North; I just miss summer so much!

Very Appreciative of Blakely Marina

      Could you please pass the following on to John Davidson as a personal reply to his letter that you published in the January edition of 48° North?
      First, it is Corinthian YC of Bellingham (not Bellingham YC) that has its annual Turkey Fry at Blakely Marina. You were great when we were there and very much appreciated your warm welcome and cooperation. Blakely Marina is a super off-season destination and we very much appreciate its availability.
      Second, I was crew on one of the boats that spent Friday night at Blakely prior to the "Round the County" race and I am very disappointed to hear that so many skippers blew you off. I know many of the skippers and boats that were there from Bellingham (both CYC and BYC) that Friday night and would appreciate learning of the ones that treated you poorly. I would like to follow up with the ones I know, for I don’t want to lose access to Blakely because of a few bad sports.
      Again, thanks John for your wonderful hospitality at Blakely. It’s a wonderful off-season escape that many of us would hate to lose.

Mike Reed Newsletter Editor
Corinthian YC of Bellingham

      I forwarded the letter to John who really appreciated your concern. He’s pleased the point has been made, not just for his marina, but for all those who do their best to serve boaters.

Concerned About Anchoring Calculations

      The article, What Makes a Good Anchorage, in January’s magazine made some very good points about anchorages and anchoring. However, there were three statements made by the author which I feel are inaccurate and, if taken literally, could cause a reader to anchor in an unsafe manner. Let me address each separately:
      When talking about how much rode to pay out, the article suggests "Simply multiply the depth of the water times, say 4, then let out that much." This is not a safe practice. Let me share a different idea and then show why it is important. Take the current depth of the water, add any expected tide increase during your stay and then add the distance from your bow roller to the water (typically 4’ for most cruising sailboats and more for many powerboats). For example, if you were in 15 feet of water and it was low tide and let’s say the low tide was 1’ and high tide during the night was 9’. You would then add the increase of 8’ to the 15’ of water and then add 4’ more for a total of 27’. Multiplying this by a scope of 4 to 1 would have you paying out 108’ of rode. If you had followed the article’s recommendation you would have paid out 60’ and at high tide been at a scope of 2 to 1 – in any kind of wind this would be unsafe.
      When discussing swing room the article suggests that a boat’s swing circle will have a diameter equal to the amount of rode (not double the amount) due to the angle the rode is at. While it is true the angle decreases the swing circle from double, it does not decrease it as much as the article indicates. For 4 to 1 scope the decrease is only 3.2% and for 7 to 1 it is only 1%. So with 120 feet of rode out at 4 to 1 scope the circle would be 232 feet. But this accounts for only the rode, which is attached to your bow; then you have to add double the length of your boat. So, with a 40’ boat your circle would be 314’ not 120’. Admittedly, on a calm night, your rode is likely to go straight down and your boat will be inside this circle, but if the wind starts to blow at 25+ knots, your rode will be taut and right out to these numbers or beyond (due to stretch if you have nylon rode). There is nothing worse than drifting into another boat or some rocks near shore in the middle of the night so be aware of your circle.
      When discussing tides, the article correctly points out that here in the Northwest we have two highs and two lows per day, at least on most days. It then goes on to say that in the summer, the lowest low is generally in the afternoon and in the winter it occurs at night. The last statement is incorrect. The tide cycles through from one lowest low to another every 25 hours (approximately). This means that the lowest low can be at noon on the first day of the month and by mid-month the lowest low will occur at midnight. There is no rule of thumb so the best advice I can give is read the tide tables daily so you’re always aware of the ACTUAL tidal situation.
      Hopefully this information will help keep some boats off the rocks,

Mike Huston
ASA Instructor
San Juan Sailing School

      Thanks Mike. With our tides and currents, anchoring in the Northwest is an important part of boating. Done properly, it can add greatly to one’s enjoyment. Done improperly, and it can be a nightmare. Your last sentence says it all. Be aware not only of what is happening but what is going to happen during the entire time you’ll be anchored, as it will be constantly changing.

"Invasive" Boarding in Canada

      Read the letter from Charlie Long with interest. Seems we have a similar situation here in Canada.
      In the 35 plus years of boating, I have only been stopped and boarded once. Returning home from a club function in Maple Bay about a year ago, we were stopped by the RCMP at Musgrave Landing in Sansum Narrows. They politely asked if they could come aboard. Who was I to say no? Once aboard, they again asked if they could enter the cabin. They asked if I had the listed safety equipment aboard, which I did. They then gave me a copy of the report and said this is your get out of jail card. LOL.
      It was not an unpleasant experience, but still an invasion of my privacy, since my boat is my home.
      I think law enforcement should perhaps sharpen their skills at recognizing the good guys from the bad ones.
      I have noticed a sharp increase in the aggressive nature of law enforcement recently. I know they’ve got a tough job, but they do need the support and cooperation of the public. It would be wise for them to nurture that support carefully.
      Also enjoyed the piece, "Boat Show Bombshells" by Rick Taylor, very clever and humorous!

Wally Crabb
M/V Marian G ll
Sidney B.C.

      Yes, life would be easier for all of us if it was easy to recognize the good guys from the bad guys, but that’s a lot easier said than done. Not just on the water, but on Wall Street as well. It’s a "damned if you do and damned if you don’t" situation. It’s good to hear (especially for the RCMP brass) that your experience was not unpleasant, just inconvenient.

I’ve been pushing the GOTB campaign around the Sailing Anarchy and One Design communities for a few weeks now and have gotten a very good response. I’ve distributed over 400 stickers and have had many people reprint the campaign letter around the country, inserting their own area, one design class or yacht club at the start of the letter. Attached is one I have put together for the Seattle area.
      The idea of the campaign is, obviously, is to Get Out The Boat (http://getouttheboat.com); to get people out racing their boats that have not been out in the recent past and to combat the idea that you need money to race; to get people out in the beer can and small yacht club races without spending a bundle to race against the best of the best. Akin to Sail Northwest’s Friday night fun races and the various races put on by yacht clubs all around the Sound. In essence, to try and re-invigorate the small time sailor into cleaning the green stuff off his deck, throw away the rotten sail cover and get out on the water with us.
      In this tough economic year I think this movement is doubly important. The Gear link at the website is a non-profit gear site, meaning, other than Cafe Press, no one is making a penny off the sale of the GOTB gear. Everyone, just GOTB!

Ben Braden
Moore 24 NW Fleet Captain http://nw.moore24.org
#26 More Uff Da

      Thanks for help spread the gospel. We’ve been doing it for 27 years and the message never gets old. We all owe a special thanks to those folks like Bob Ross who are putting on those fun events for everyone. They’ve really gotten a lot of boats out of their slips for some sailing fun. You’ve got a boat – use it! Many of the big races have Cruising Classes, there’s probably a "just for fun" race in your area, all great reasons to GOTB!

Gold Medalist Nick Scandone Passes

      This special edition of the Lido 14 e-Newsletter comes with the sad news of Nick Scandone’s passing. Nick was a long-time Lido sailor and two-time Class Champion. We all knew that the ALS would eventually take Nick’s body, but we also knew that it would not take his indomitable spirit. I did not know Nick personally as many of you did. However, I have been proudly following his heroic efforts to follow and accomplish his dream of being an Olympic champion. Nick has been many things to many people; son, husband, friend, competitor, and inspiration to thousands around the world. Thank you, Nick!

      Fair winds and following seas.

Jim Sterner
Lido 14 Class President

      Nick Scandone’s story is one of more than a champion sailor; he was a champion of life for us all. Read more on the Lido class sailing site, and many, many other sailing sites by those touched by Nick on and off the water.

Easier Onboard "Dulce de Leche"

      While I loved Amanda’s recipes this month, there is an easier way to make Dulce de Leche (particularly on board).

Take a can of sweetened condensed milk (preferably with no fructose or preservatives), remove the label, and place the unopened can in a pan. Cover with water (at least an inch over the top of the can). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for three hours, adding water as necessary to keep the can covered. Remove the can from the water and let it cool for at least an hour.

      This requires no real cooking skills, and can even be prepared ahead if you don’t open the can. It’s great on toast too.

Cheers,

Tim Onders

s/v Frog Prints
Seattle, WA