Thanks Puget Sound Sailors

Hello to the sailing community. First, let me say a humungous THANK YOU to the sailors of Puget Sound for making the TransPuget Benefit Sailboat Race September 8th so hugely successful! Sound Experience and the schooner Adventuress are honored to be 2007 recipients of Shilshole Bay Yacht Club’s benefit race. It is exciting to share the waters of Puget Sound with racers, cruisers, and of course, other historic

. All are welcome to join us aboard and learn about protecting YOUR Puget Sound. You may check the calendar and register for programs aboard at soundexp.org.

It may be impossible to personally thank all those who made this success possible, so we extend our thanks to each of you. See you aboard!
Sound Experience - Protecting Puget Sound through Education Aboard the Schooner Adventuress

Catherine Collins,
Executive Director & Rubie Johnson, Board of Directors
Townsend, WA 98368
Office: (360) 379-0438 · Fax: (360) 379-0439
catherine@soundexp.org

Tragic Accident Claims Avid Sailor

The sailing community will miss a great friend and avid sailor in Dan Bergin, who was killed tragically while kite boarding October 18th. Dan worked as a part time instructor at Windworks Sailing from 2001 until he organized his own around the world cruising expedition last year aboard his 52 foot Amel, Papa II. Dan was here in town during October for a stop over and boat repairs before continuing his round the world sailing journey.

Dan instructed Basic Keelboat and Basic Cruising classes at Windworks and enjoyed teaching his passion for sailing to others. A graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Dan served our country flying fighter jets off aircraft carriers before going to work as a pilot with Delta Airlines. Dan put his flying career on hold to fulfill his dream of long distance cruising and teaching.

Many of us in the Windworks Sailing Club, and in the sailing community in general, knew Dan personally and can say that there has been no one more excited or passionate about sailing. We will miss Dan’s energy and zest for life. Dan lived out his cruising dream and died experiencing sailing on the edge.

Our blessing and prayers go out to Dan’s family and friends.

Greg Norwine
WINDWORKS SAILING

“Just For Fun” Fun Racing Spreads to San Diego

Wanted to let you know it’s going to happen!! Our “Just 4 Fun” web site went up last night and we already have several entrants (http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/races07/just4fun/)! Plus, I already have many sponsorship commitments!! Thanks for the inspiration! What spurred all of this on was that after our SDYC Opening Day race last spring where my wife and I, with our 4 yr. old daughter raced David Jones’s E22 (tack, gybe, set kite, kite down, kite up, interrupt nap, gybe, kite down, tack, tack, etc.) and had a great time, we decided to buy a 1985 J-29 (mast head). We have had many fun sails this summer and a few sleepovers but wanted to find a good environment to expose the four year-old to racing and we just don’t have that here anymore.

So, when I read your comments to Scuttlebutt (8/21/07), it reminded me of the many “fun” events in Seattle (I still have very fond memories of multiple Duck Dodges – please don’t share those stories with my daughter -yet!) and it got me thinking. So, I emailed you for a little background and then ran with it, talked and emailed the idea around other SDYC families, received a lot of positive responses and some good ideas, then the YC stepped right up to help (albeit it’s open to anybody - even the BAHA HA HA’s) Then we picked some dates, plagiarized the Elliott Bay SI’s, and now, 6 weeks later, we have an event!

Presuming the interest continues and we have some fun (how can it not with Miller brewing, SLAM and the local wine shop as some of the prize sponsors), we will pick some spring weekend dates and summer nights for the 2008 series! So thanks for letting us borrow your ideas!

Cheers,
Casey Schnoor

P.S. I hear Indian summer has gone - stay dry and warm in the GNW! Go dawgs ……

Terrific! About time your daughter started racing before she gets too old. Any excuse to cross tacks with Dr. Davy in his E22 is always a good time. We miss you guys up here.

Elliott Bay’s event has really turned into quite the evening, and I know Bob Ross has big plans for the fun races at Shilshole. Of course, the Duck Dodge is legend and we look forward to talking with your daughter more about it when she’s older. “Dad did what?” With other “fun” races popping up, it really is an indication that people really enjoy having an excuse just to get out on their boats.

Shilshole Changes Causing Tension

After reading the letters section of the latest magazine I though I might reply. It seems there are more than a few upset people, “Tenants,” at the Shilshole Marina. I am presently a liveaboard there and am very happy to be part of the Shilshole community. It’s everyone’s right to complain and voice their opinion. I feel however that it should be directed toward the responsible persons or organization.

The point here is that the Port of Seattle has laid out the policy and rules governing their marinas not the marina employees. The employees working the docks and grounds are just doing their jobs. The particular employee who handles our dock and grounds does a great job. The only frustrating thing I feel is the lack of consistent and correct information from the marina office.

At present the marina is shuffling boats from dock to dock to accommodate the construction of new facilities. Changes in new slip sizes and new rules of measurement have upset numerous residents and tenants. Change has a way of doing that. People are often resistant to change and are comfortable in the old ways. I must admit I fall into that category. I don’t like misinformation or too much change. Presently the air is full of tension. People unhappy with the new events and people unhappy with their fellow boaters as they are displaced from their present slip to another by way of seniority. Adding to the tension is a total lack of information. I am sure once all of this moving about is done the dust will settle and we will all get back to what we most enjoy; boating and recreating with our new boating neighbors, whoever they might be.

Douglas G Young
S/V Angelique

Thank you for your letter. I appreciate that it’s not just a rant but nicely presented point of view. Yes, the guys putting this thing together are doing what they can under the guidance given, with everybody involved answerable to downtown. As far as the lack of information, this is what marina manager Sharon Briggs has to say on the subject:

In general I would just like to comment that the “rules” regarding length overall (LOA) of a vessel for determining a slip assignment at Shilshole has not changed. It is defined as the extreme length from one end to the other of the vessel and that includes bow pulpits, swim steps, etc. This is the standard definition of LOA for recreational marinas. This definition has been communicated in our Customer Handbook; on moorage application and wait list questionnaire letter.

We are gearing up to assign boats into permanent slips on the new docks, probably by the end of this year. In the place of 28ft, 30ft, 40ft size slips, we now will have 30ft, 34ft, 36ft, 38ft, 40ft, 42ft, & 46ft (and of course we will continue to offer 50ft, 60ft, 70ft+). Boats were measured by staff in order to better align the boat sizes with the new slip sizes. We found that approximately 15% of the boats that we measured were longer than what we were told on the moorage application. Over 100 boaters asked to be remeasured either because they were surprised by the actual LOA of their vessel and/or had made modifications to decrease the length of the vessel. Many boaters will also be going into smaller slips and paying less moorage because of the new configuration.

We have also had a no overhang rule for many years that states that the vessel’s LOA cannot be longer than the designated slip size. Point of fact is that many boaters tie their vessel in such a way that it protrudes into the fairway inches to several feet. Allowing for vessels to be longer than the designated slip size would compromise the fairway width for ease of maneuvering. We have heard loud and clear from our boaters to maintain a wide fairway.

My final comment concerns the slip mix of the new docks. We worked with our design firm Reid Middleton who has done many marina rebuilds up and down the Puget Sound and also gathered extensive data from an outside consultant who has done studies throughout the marina industry on market demands for various slip sizes. We also engaged an outside group to value engineer our project overall. We looked at a wide range of slip sizes. One of our goals was to provide a greater diversity of slip sizes. We made the decision to reduce the number of 30 foot slips, for example, because the demand in this size had declined significantly over the years at Shilshole as well as a decline throughout the market. We continued to have vacancies in this size and our wait list continued to grow in the larger slip sizes. The decision to build 34, 36, & 38 foot slips allowed for efficiency of the fairways and slip layouts, maximized the physical layout of the marina and meeting the projected market demand in various sizes.

I’m certainly concerned if our customers are not receiving correct and consistent information. We have sent letters to all customers regarding the “Pick Your Slip” program on several occasions, which by the way, allowed for each boater to let us know what slip/dock they would like to have as permanent moorage once the construction project was completed. Yes, a customer’s seniority would be taken in to account for a preferred slip as it does for wait list assignments and change requests to move into another slip. We have received many positive comments regarding this program and overwhelming support and cooperation from our boaters as they have gone about choosing their preferred location.

Thanks to Sharon for responding. Hopefully, things will go as Douglas says,“the dust will settle and we will all get back to what we most enjoy; boating and recreating with our new boating neighbors, whoever they might be.”

Please Move us Down in the Results

You and your colleagues at 48° North do a great job. Keep up the fantastic, up-to-date and informative news about sailing and sailboat racing in the Pacific Northwest.

I checked the Swiftsure 2007 “official” race results recently which 48° North uses as one of the NW races to determine The Top 25 racing boats in Puget Sound. They still have us finishing in first place. But, due to a redress hearing, we actually finished second.

So, please take this into consideration when figuring the Top 25. Happily, we are in contention for the Top 25 !!!

The race in question is the Unlimited Juan de Fuca Race Class: 7 Division P. Wildflower, the J35c owned by me, Tom Mitchell, should be scored as second instead of first as shown on the Swiftsure 2007 website as “official” race results.

You probably already know this but just wanted to be sure. Thanks again for a great magazine.

Happy Sailing,
Tom Mitchell
S/V Wildflower

To quote Willy Wonka, “an act of kindness in a weary world.” Usually we only hear from folks who believe they should be ranked higher, but never that they were scored too high. In an ever growing world where no one is accountable for their actions, cheating is okay, and if you get caught you just deny it or make up some lame excuse, it’s great to see true sportsmanship.

We don’t have a chocolate factory to give you, but certainly drop by and we’ll give you lots of kisses, Hershey’s that is.

Log of the Kalohe Found

I want to thank you for helping me find the log of Kalohe. She was a Cal 40 that my friend and I delivered from Hawaii in 1976. You were kind enough to post my request for information in your magazine and I got some responses that enabled me to track down the owner who had sold the boat but still had the log.

Many thanks and smooth sailing.
Rick Endresen

What Kind of Dinghy is This?

I am hoping someone on your staff, or maybe a reader can help me identify the dinghy attached to my e-mail. I picked this puppy up on Craig’s List for Free and it is now my winter project. What you see is what I picked up from a nice couple in Portland. I’m missing the rigging, sails, and main boom, as well as the rudder assembly and mounting components. Much of the cleats are green and seem to be brass. The hull is fiberglass with wood components as you can see in the photos. There are no numbers or other identifying marks that I can see to identify its make, model or designer. Its Length Overall is roughly 13’ 4.25”, the Beam is 4’ 7”, the mast is 19’ 4.75” tall, and the center board is 3” 7” by 1’ 5/8”.

Erich

Consensus was that it looked like a Lido 14, but... So, we contacted Tom Schock, of W.D. Schock Corp, maker of the Lido and he solved the mystery–sort of...

This is not a Lido 14. I have forgotten the name of it, but it was made as a Lido copy in the late 50s and early 60s. BTW, Your Test Sail review of the Harbor 25 was terrific. I wish I had been there to break out the Merlot!

Tom Schock
W. D. Schock Corp.
Corona, CA 92883
Web site: www.wdschock.com
Celebrating 60 Years