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| May 2006 |
John's "Day Dream Cruises" for Kids is Happening!
I would like to thank you and 48 North for the fabulous opportunity to tell my son's story in your magazine, Day Dream Cruises, April 06. The response has been wonderful. So far I have a set of masts from a Cheoy Lee 47, a set of sails that Cliff Hunter of Lee Sails has most generously offered and several emails offering elbow grease and financial support. Once again we see that our community of sailors and waterfolk have stepped up to help without any thought of reward other than by feeling good about doing something to help children in need. We still have a ways to go but Mr. William Garden has thrown his two cents in, Don Hudson, a friend and protégée of Mr. Garden has generously offered to do the conversion drawings making her a schooner on the lines of Mr. Garden's Porpoise. ( Get out your Garden design books! She's going to be a beauty!) I will keep you posted as we make over our very tired Formosa 41 into a Garden Schooner. And again....THANK YOU!!!! to all of the staff of 48 North and our brothers and sisters on the water. Best regards and much appreciation, Bob Arnold SV Heart of Gold The John Arnold Foundation DBA - Day Dream Cruises 9819 NW Bartholomew Drive Portland, Oregon 97229 503-522-6750 bob@johnarnoldfoundation.org http://johnarnoldfoundation.org/ How Many Yamahas? Regarding your question concerning how many Yamaha 24 MS were sold in the Northwest in the late 70s, that appeared in the April 48° North magazine: Yacht Systems Northwest was the dealer for Yamaha boats in Seattle in the late 70s. They sold one Yamaha 24 MS. While Yamaha boats were excellent in design, and quality of construction, they never really caught on in the Northwest. The most popular boat was the Yamaha 24 ?(24'-1/4 ton). Other boats were the Yamaha 30, 33, and 36. Yacht Systems Northwest was owned by Yacht Systems Hawaii, which sold a much larger number of Yamaha boats. There were a couple of Yamaha boat dealers in California at the time, and Yamaha U.S. was located in LA. To my knowledge, there were no other Yamaha boat dealers in the U.S. during this period of time. I hope this answers your question. Neil Atwood Thanks Neil. Yes, they were actually pretty good boats, but like you say, they never caught on. They did have some interesting colors and a distinctive look, but performed well. It's always good to have product name recognition, but guess people couldn't make the leap from motorcycles to boats like they did from motorcycles to pianos. Any info on the Totem 20? I'm searching for any information on the Totem 20 design sailboat manufactured in Seattle area for Sears/Montgomery wards??? Do you have any ideas ? Thanks Jim Wilson josaji@msn.com This is a good one. We've got our feelers out with those that know everything about old boats but no luck as yet. Hopefully a reader can enlighten us all. A Nautical Truth ... Water Is Magnetic Long ago, over the seas and far away, I was informed the waxing and waning of that celestial silver orb - the moon, exerted a gravitational pull that is responsible for the flooding and ebbing of the tides. Au contraire, I now have hard evidence to prove that it is in fact quite the reverse - it is water that is magnetic and has its way with the moon. My very good ship, the Down Easter 38 cutter Eclipse, recently spent five months on the hard in Annapolis MD, due to a four-year-old Volvo Penta that had a penchant for ingesting copious quantities of the Chesapeake Bay and, as a result, needed rebuilding before its time. Yes, of course the warranty had long since expired. In all that time on the hard, surrounded by nothing but very dry land, no matter what I brought on deck - be it a winch handle, sunglasses, parts, pieces, any and all tools, a gidget, a gadget, a widget or whatever you care to name - not a one of them fell overboard. Not one, none, nothing, nada, nichts, zip, zilch, zero! I, on the other hand - body of water that I am, fell off the ladder on numerous occasions and why? It's obvious - consisting mostly of H2O - not only did I need to find my own level that, in this case, was a good way below and beyond the boatyard but of course - the magnetic effect kicked in. This only served to enlighten me as to why it's known as the hard. The moment Eclipse was launched, any and all gear or items on deck not physically attached to the boat, be it by line, 5200, screws or bolts, were instantly attracted by (and to) the water and immediately leapt like lemmings over the side, completely avoiding all contact with the cabin, bulwarks, coamings, stanchions, lifelines, toe or cap rail and sank to a murky and watery grave, never to be seen again. One would think, that if what goes up must come down is a universal truth, then its opposite - what goes down must come up should also hold true. Unfortunately, such is not the case, especially when it comes to the marine environment - the Titanic for instance. As any seafaring soul who has undoubtedly witnessed the magnetic water phenomenon may attest, it has been the norm ever since mankind crawled out of the proverbial primordial, and is consistent with my 'theory' . . . water is magnetic. If you need confirmation, go to sea with your cell phone or car keys in your pocket - I dare you. This is no theory and is true of any system of water, including the shower. You may choose to believe that you dropped the soap, but you didn't. In actuality, it was the water going down the drain (clockwise or counter, depending on its positive or negative polarity) following its natural instinct and the soap succumbed to the draw of its overpowering magnetic force. Oh, still you doubt me, then look no further than the North Pole - a prodigious amount of ... what? Frozen, yes you guessed it, water. And, as all good sailors know, you may trust your compass to point you in the direction of that icy place as it is most definitely and indisputably magnetic. This proves once and for all, never mind the moon - water is magnetic. Happy sails to you, Martin Samuel Fort Lauderdale FL Disclaimer: all non-fictitious people, places and things are named but no brain cells were harmed in the creation of this literary piece. This could be worth millions in government grants. Some people might laugh, but when you think about all the stuff that goes in the water just from the dock - wrenches, screws, people, dogs - it does give one pause for thought. We Can Now Effectively Rescue Someone Overboard After the tragedy earlier this year, we thought we'd best brush up on our man overboard drill. The crew and I spent a Sunday several weeks ago developing and practicing a man overboard procedure. I must tell you that even though I have carried a Lifesling on the stern for 20 years or more, it is doubtful that I could have used it effectively to rescue someone. We developed a procedure specifically for my boat that works well, and then practiced it using one of my crew in the water in a survival suit. I would recommend going through this to anyone, especially couples that cruise together. The method we developed can be used effectively by just one person to rescue another. It was interesting also that the block and tackle supplied with the Lifesling was not effective in lifting the crew member out of the water, even using a winch. I purchased a new one with a 4:1 purchase using blocks with ball bearings. That should work well. Have fun! Pat Waters Good on you and your crew. No doubt there are hundreds of Lifeslings out there that have never left the rail. It goes without saying that finding out what works for you and practicing it makes you and yours safer, but an unmeasureable benefit is that it will also give you more peace of mind and confidence in your ability to handle adverse situations on the boat. A Most Memorable Opening Day The haunting, off-key notes of "Taps" floated across the water. Instead of being solemn, though, hundreds of people within earshot were falling over, laughing. It was Opening Day, and Flagrante Delicto's engine had died, right in front of the judges, for the second year in a row. Our skipper dived into the cabin, where I thought he was rooting around for a spare part. Instead, he produced the most battered bugle I'd ever seen, then stood at the helm of his drifting boat and played to the incredulous crowd. They ate it up. The judges scowled. It was my first year in the parade, and I counted myself lucky to be there. For years, I'd watched from shore, sitting on the grass with my family and a well-stuffed picnic hamper, rain or shine. I love a parade, and I love boats. A boat parade is the best of both worlds. Watching the decorated boats, true parade "floats," I wondered who those fun-loving people were. They create amazing illusions out of crepe paper and chicken wire, just like parades on land. I've seen gigantic umbrellas, huge coffee cups, and 30-foot red hats. I wished I could be aboard, looking goofy, grinning and waving at the crowd. A twist of fate gave me my chance. One Labor Day, I was returning to the lake with my husband, Barry, aboard our 25-foot sailboat. Judging from the number of powerboats zooming past us, Labor Day was the unofficial "closing day" of the season. Our engine died, and we managed to tie up outside the locks. While Barry had his head in the engine, I scanned the empty faces on the passing Tupperware boats, hoping to find someone who could help. Finally, I decided to hail an intelligent-looking fellow on a small, classic Chris Craft. Little did I know what an excellent choice I'd made. 
I had the good fortune to choose, as our rescuer, none other than the infamous Captain Craig Nelson, the self-titled Scourge of Lake Union and Environs. Tying alongside for the trip through the locks, he cast a practiced eye on our boat and asked us, "What have you got to drink?"
I was embarrassed by the question, because I'd been dieting. "Uh, water," I stammered, "and a little soymilk, I think."
"That simply will not do!" boomed Captain Craig. "Sara, fix these folks a gin and tonic." By the time we reached our marina, our dead engine seemed hilarious, and we were fast friends with Craig and Sara. We exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and that spring, I got a call. "Craig here," said the deep voice on the phone. "Would you like to go on my boat for Opening Day?" The theme was "Jungle Party." When we arrived aboard Flagrante Delicto, our hosts produced animal masks, and we produced food and beverages. For about an hour, we milled around Portage bay with hundreds of other boats, waiting. A yacht club boat passed by, and a woman in a blue blazer and white pants called out, with a slight accent, "That's a nice boat! What does the name mean?" We all turned to stare at our skipper, to see how he would respond. Meanwhile, the lady's boat drifted farther away, and Craig had to shout. "IT MEANS 'CAUGHT IN THE ACT!'" She called back, puzzled, "OF WHAT?" We were rolling in laughter. "OF SEX!" he hollered, loudly, because they were quite far now. "OF SEX?" she repeated back, then realized what she'd shouted. She clapped her hands over her mouth, aghast, and quickly disappeared below. We did not win a prize for our animal act, which consisted of seven people scratching themselves, jumping up and down, and hooting like monkeys. Nor did we win a prize for musical talent. Craig's version of Taps had more cracked notes than I knew a bugle could produce. We should have won a prize for chutzpah, though. As we drifted, powerless and off key, we were blocking the parade route. A police boat came out and the officer grabbed our line and towed us out of the way. "Can you fix it?" he asked. "Sure, I can try," said Craig, looking as smart and efficient as that day I'd picked him out of the powerboat lineup for a rescue. To my shock, the police officer took us to a navigational aid, the number 15 green can, and told us to tie up. The first thing I learned in a Coast Guard Auxiliary class boating class was: Do not ever, ever, ever tie up to a navigation aid. But who could argue with a police officer? I looked nervously over at Craig, expecting him to dive into the engine, fix the problem, and untie the boat. To my surprise, he poured himself a drink. "I, for one, am not going to disturb the food," he said. It was true, the engine compartment was completely covered with salads, chips, and cookies. "Hey, look at that!" He distracted me by pointing at the next boat in the parade. We did have the best seats in the house. We were literally across from the judges' boat, alone on our buoy, not jockeying for space or rafted to a bunch of other boats. Craig knew what he was doing: It didn't get any better than this. At the end of the day, a friend towed us back across the lake. Just outside his marina, Craig turned the key, saying, "Let's see how this works," and miraculously, the engine started! Was it really a fuel starvation problem, as he claimed, or a ruse to get the best seat in the house for the Opening Day parade? I'll never know, and I don't think I'll ask. Margaret "Meps Monkey Mask" Schulte Take Off the Gloves and Let'em Have It! I would like to thank you for putting out such an excellent publication to the sailing community; we are fortunate to have 48° North in our backyard. I have to compliment the degree of professionalism and integrity that you always display; you folks always take the high road. This was displayed with both the passing of Kelly O'Neil and more recently, the sailor off Bainbridge Island. 48° North displayed the utmost grace in dealing with these two tragic events. With respect to how you respond to constructive feedback, I would like to volunteer my services for some of the oxygen-deprived morons who send in responses to your editorials. Unlike Latitude 38, you folks continue to take the high road and I must admit, I wish you would occasionally drop the gloves and give those people a well-deserved licking when they are grosely out of line; I'm not sure I would be so humble! Thanks once again for your well-crafted publication. Please feel free to publish my response above in its entirety or excerpts if you feel it warrants it. Best regards Shaun Wurzner S/V Sorcerer Ericson 38, Everett Ha, regarding "constructive feedback", you should read what doesn't go to press. We can be just as sensitive, sarcastic, and caustically clever as the next guy but don't see much point in it. There's enough of that crap on radio, television and everywhere that, frankly, I'd just as soon leave it ashore. Once in a while we can put the screws to someone but mostly we resist our "mag rage", and simply hope that the courtesy of a polite answer will reverse the spotlight and give them the notoriety they deserve, whatever that may be. But those instances are rare. We are lucky to have a pretty knowledgeable bunch of readers that gladly share their thoughts and knowledge in a typical Northwest way, "Here's what I think, take it or leave it. Hope it helps. Have a nice sail."
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