Same shot at Lerwick, Shetland Mainland, that Amanda had in her article, only with our boat at the mooring.

Shetland sailing dories at the dock shows how they are rigged with bowsprit and boomkin.

Can I Get a 1.5-foot Refund?

      I find it interesting that the staff at Shilshole Marina is measuring boats to see if they are longer than the slips they are in (Letters, 48° North, November). I moor my Islander 30 at Harbor Island Marina, another Port of Seattle facility. There is a piling directly in front of my boat in a 32’ slip (D-7). I measured the dock and there is only 30.5’ of usable space, but I pay for the whole 32’.
      Do you think there is any chance the Port would charge me for a smaller slip? Yeah, right.

Jerry McDonald
S/V Endlig
Seattle, WA

      I think you’ve got two chances; slim and none. But, you never know. Never hurts to ask, if only to tug on their tail.

"O Come Ye to the Marina"

      Thanks so much for the "O Come Ye to the Marina" - In the December ‘08 issue. Fantastic. Well written and very much appreciated, besides being very clever and fun to read.

Best Regards,
David Vacanti
Aerospace Fellow

Swap Meet Dates?

We come up every year from Sausalito for your Swap Meet. Do you have dates set yet so we can plan our trip?

Thanks,
Bob Turtle
Sausolito, CA

      No dates set yet, but we’ll be putting out the word as soon as we can get something set with Fisheries Supply.

Boat is Not a NW 18

      Thank you for printing the contact information for Mr. Demmell, owner of the Oslojolle US#1. A friend alerted me to the posting, and I have emailed him.
      I am not sure if I ever followed up on our Oslojolle derivative, which was thought by some to be a NW 18. We appreciate your effort in helping us contact the designer/builder of the NW 18. We were able to determine that our boat is not a NW 18, although it is very close in most aspects.

Thanks again,
Matthew A. Meacham
Gig Harbor Washington

Shawl Bay vs Shoal Bay

      Picture Captions in article "North to the Broughtons" by Becky Coffield The caption for the large picture on page 42/43 reads "Left: Majestic view from Shawl Bay Pub". It is from Shoal Bay, not Shawl Bay. On page 44, the picture at the bottom is captioned "A contented boater picks vegetables at Shawl Bay." Again, this is at Shoal Bay. The names may sound similar, but the two areas are very different. I’m sure I am not the only one to point out this error, so just add me to the list.

Jim
S/V Aeolus

      Nice catch. There is a Shawl Bay (page 251 of "Waggoner Cruising Guide," Broughtons section) but definitely a different place. The captions should read Shoal instead of Shawl.

Disappointed with Visiting Sailors

      I’m sorry to have to write this but maybe some good can come out of it. By default, I’m sort of in charge of the Blakely Island Marina since the operator left unexpectedly early in September. The homeowners here have the store, fuel dock and transient moorage leased for the next 20 years from the owner and we are trying to make a go of it, it ain’t easy. The operator we sublet it to ran it for three years and finally couldn’t stand the bleeding anymore.
      Being a sailor I was excited about the "Round the County" race. It starts at Lydia Shoal which is just around the corner from us and a lot of racers come in one or two nights before the start. To make a long story short, when the boats started arriving I met them at the dock, moved our boat to provide another slip and generally welcomed everyone to the marina. I also mentioned that moorage envelopes were at the front door of the store (hint, hint). Out of 16 boats, four paid up front (Thank you!), the rest I slowly collected after three trips down to "remind" everyone about the moorage. couldn’t stand the bleeding anymore.
      The first time I was nice, even though I was disappointed in the number of unrequested payments. Everyone was having a good time, cooking in the cabana and drinking a little (?) beer. The second time I wasn’t very nice (only two more had paid), this was about 9 p.m. I went boat to boat and knocked on windows and hulls and told everyone that hadn’t paid that they needed to, now. The next morning at 7 a.m. I went to the marina ( I was going to go out to watch the start); only three more boats had paid. I again went around to all the boats that hadn’t paid and collected the moorage, many boats had their engines running and were getting their sails set up. I got the impression from a couple guys that they were upset that I was "bothering" them as they were getting ready! I have to admit that I gave all the boats that had paid, the latest wind info off the computer and wished them good luck, the others I said good riddance to. couldn’t stand the bleeding anymore.
      Big difference from the weekend before when the Bellingham Yacht Club came for their annual Turkey Fry: everyone paid as soon as they tied up and they invited us to dinner as well! couldn’t stand the bleeding anymore.
      Small marinas are having a hard time staying open and the costs of maintaining docks, fuel systems, electrical, water, etc. is unbelievable. We aren’t even sure if we will be able to have the store open next summer, but we are hoping with volunteer help to have fuel and transient moorage available. couldn’t stand the bleeding anymore.
      If you value having places to stay and get fuel etc., please do the right thing and pay your moorage, even if someone doesn’t come around to collect it.

Thanks, John Davidson
Blakely Island

      Thanks for the letter, John. I have to admit I’m a bit taken aback by those that made collecting their moorage fee such an unpleasant chore. Of course I’m biased, but I’ve always found sailors pretty easy going in following the rules. I can’t, offhand, think of one skipper I know that would stiff a marina for moorage. Of course, there are always exceptions but let’s just chalk it up to the excitement of the upcoming race. Let this serve as a gentle reminder to all to take care of those that are taking care of you.

Is the Fourth Amendment alive and well on our waters?

      We’ve known for years that the U. S. Coast Guard has the right to stop us and search our boats without having to bother with those pesky little details called "warrants" or "probable cause." Lately, I’ve heard that the dreaded Department of Homeland Security is likewise not bound by the Constitution, either. I talked to a skipper who was boarded on two separate occasions just outside the breakwater of his home marina. Homeland Security demanded, among other things, to know where he’d come from (duh!), where he was going, and why he was going there.
      My question pertains to our LOCAL law enforcement agencies. I’ve heard rumors of local police departments, county sheriffs, etc. boarding boats under the guise of "safety checks." Do they have the right to do that without warrants or any probable cause? They can’t arbitrarily stop me on the highway and search my vehicle. Nor can they come and search my home just to see if I might be "up to something." But it seems there’s a good possibility that they can do exactly that with my boat.
      I’ve had a lot of trouble getting any information on this subject or finding anyone who can provide a straight answer. Perhaps 48° North can do better. I think we all need to know exactly what rights we do (or don’t) have.

Charlie Long
Gig Harbor

      This is something that comes up at least once or twice a year, even before 9/11. I guess the answer is, "Yes," they can pretty much do what they want under the guise of safety and homeland security. Boaters getting boarded repeatedly is not the norm, but anyone can be boarded and inspected at any time.
      There have been an abundance of privacy issues raised because of Homeland Security practices, all the way to the Supreme Court, and a lot of latitude has been given in that regard. It’s an irritation unless it works, then they’re heroes.
      Much to dismay of many boaters, the CG has long been stopping vessels for safety issues. We’ve talked a lot with the Coast Guard about this. They are charged with the task of being responsible for those who don’t act responsibly on the water. It is truly amazing how many vessels and skippers don’t comply with safety measures. And who do these people call at the first sign of danger – the Coast Guard.