December 2023 48° North Digital

30 SEWING SAILS UNDER SAIL

36 CRUISING WITH THE FAMILY

DECEMBER 2023

26 MY BOAT: NAUTICAT 36

J/Sport - J/70 J/80 J/88 J/9 J/99 J/111 J/121 J/Elegant - J/112e J/122e J/45

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DECEMBER 2023

DECEMBER 2023

26

FEATURES My Boat: Nauticat 36, AARLUK

30

Sewing Sails Under Sail

This ketch-rigged motor-sailer is one couple’s ideal PNW cruiser.

An ambitious DIYer has discovered a new favorite tool.

48º NORTH

33

‘Twas the Morning of Hightide A winter poem with boat vibes galore.

By David Casey

34

48° North Boat Test: Arksen 30

Getting out on a sleek and speedy new aluminum powerboat.

By Joe Cline

36

A Weekend Cruise with the Whole Family

It’s seldom easy, but always rewarding to venture out together.

By Samantha McLenachen

18

COLUMNS Three Sheets NW: Two Sailors Walk into a Bar

An interesting boat electrical seminar sparks a bevy of questions.

By Marty McOmber

20

Close to the Water: Finding Awe

Have an awesome new year, wherever your boat may take you.

By Bruce Bateau

22

Shifting Gears: Winter Recollections

Winterizing a powerboat brings fond sailing memories.

By Dennis Bottemiller

39

RACING Martha’s Round the County

42

October Racing at its Best: SYC Grand Prix

44

Red Ruby Project: ORC Doublehanded Worlds

47

CYC Turkey Bowl

A unique perspective from this perennial fall favorite.

Three days of breeze, sun, and fun racing competition.

Jonathan McKee describes winning a major event.

A big turnout for this classic small boat regatta.

ON THE COVER: The classic Schooner Martha, was the biggest and oldest vessel at Round the County. The story of their race was shared by a high school sailor (page 39).

Photo by Sean Trew.

5

Background photo courtesy of J. Foster Fanning.

CONTENTS

By Emma Biron

DECEMBER 2023

6

Editor A VERY GOOD YEAR

Especially when I look through a boaty lens, a year-end reflection on the past 12 months is a fun exercise. To think about the people, places, boats, and experiences I’ve been able to enjoy… I’m one lucky guy. I’d say that anyone who adventures on the water in the Pacific Northwest is pretty dang fortunate!

For me, the year began with racing, as it so often does. Wasn’t March just a few days ago when I was shaking off the winter rust and settling back into the groove on the good ship Glory, reconnecting with sailing pals and the amazing opportunity to trim on a TP 52? Time does fly when you’re having fun!

A centerpiece of my year was the chance to spend almost two weeks aboard the impressively capable 32-foot Barnett Offshore aluminum power cat, Disco, while following the Race to Alaska. No waterborne experience in 2023 can top the anticipation and excitement of charging toward the unknown of Seymour Narrows.

Even at 20 knots, the last few miles to that legendary patch of water were neverending as I waited to finally witness the water wonder I’d heard so much about. Seymour did not disappoint! The tide was running mildly by Seymour Narrows standards — maybe about 10 knots. I sat on the bow, clinging committedly to the boat while also trying to get close to the roiling, raging, surge of hydraulic force. We aimed our reassuringly seaworthy vessel at a few of Seymour’s famous whirlpools, and the sensation was a rollercoaster-style drop of maybe 6 feet, accompanied by a moment when exhilaration overshadowed the panicked curiosity, “Are we just going to keep going down, Davy Jones?” As much fun as that was, I was infinitely more inspired in the following days when I returned to the Narrows to see engineless boats sail through, and then to watch a kayak, a rowboat, and a standup paddleboard transit the notorious stretch together under human power.

Another pillar of my year afloat was the 48° North Cruising Rally. I missed the rally in 2022; and when I say I missed it, I really did miss it. I was never more aware of this than on the first night of the 2023 rally, coming out of the cozy salon and poking my head through the companionway to survey the post-rainstorm scene in Garrison Bay. The day’s first and last splash of dusky golden rays washed a far shore, and all around our nine boats were safely anchored at the head of the bay near English Camp.

I saw grill smoke from one transom, and another rally boat splashed a dinghy to go retrieve eye-poppingly full crab pots. When the first day goes well in spite of very unsummery conditions, and there’s a whole cruise ahead promising sunnier weather, strengthening rally friendships, and the discovery of new Northwest nooks… I really did miss it!

The fall flurry of festivals and races, boat shows and boat tests blurs into one rich stew of happy memories, a vibrant reminder of the many ways to enjoy this lifestyle in our region. Amidst this splendid melange was what’s sure to be my most lasting memory of 2023: a few brief minutes of an hour-long September joyride on a friend’s fishing boat, with my 20-month old daughter in my lap, giggling as her little hands moved the steering wheel port and starboard. The kid can drive!

Such ruminations come with their share of perspective. The rigors and rewards of parenting mean that I don’t get to count as many days on the water as I might have a few years ago, and I stayed mostly on local waters. Still, when I look back at the sum of 2023’s wonderful opportunities, there’s so Joe Cline much to be grateful for.

Managing Editor, Cheers to a good year, and happy holidays!

48° North 48º NORTH

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Volume XLIII, Number 5, December 2023 (206) 789-7350 info@48north.com | www.48north.com

Publisher Northwest Maritime Center Managing Editor Joe Cline joe@48north.com Editor Andy Cross andy@48north.com Designer Rainier Powers rainier@48north.com Advertising Sales Kachele Yelaca kachele@48north.com Classifieds classads48@48north.com Photographer Jan Anderson 48° North is published as a project of the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery.

Northwest Maritime Center: 431 Water St, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 385-3628 48° North encourages letters, photographs, manuscripts, burgees, and bribes. Emailed manuscripts and high quality digital images are best!

We are not responsible for unsolicited materials.

Articles express the author’s thoughts and may not reflect the opinions of the magazine.

Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden except by permission from the editor.

SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS FOR 2023! $39/Year For The Magazine $75/Year For Premium (perks!) www.48north.com/subscribe for details.

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DECEMBER 2023

News from the Northwest Maritime Center >> 48° North has been published by the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) since 2018. We are continually amazed and inspired by the important work of our colleagues and organization, and dedicate this page to sharing more about these activities with you.

48° North is part of something bigger, and we believe the mission-minded efforts of our organization matter to our readers.

WINTER CONSTRUCTION BRINGS NEW WELCOME CENTER TO NWMC IN SPRING 2024 In 2019, Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) undertook an evaluation of the visitor experience at its Port Townsend site, and identified a variety of ways to improve its site wayfinding, interpretation, and storytelling, and better meet visitors’ functional needs (where’s the bathroom?). These lessons also illuminated opportunities to tell a more complete, cogent story of the organization and the region's maritime traditions that aligns with NWMC's programs, mission, and commitment to antiracism and inclusion.

To create a new way for people to access and interact with NWMC, the organization plans to begin two construction projects this January. These will include a major remodel to transform the current Wooden Boat Chandlery retail space into the future Welcome Center, as well as a beach repair project.

Anticipated completion is Spring 2024 for both projects.

The new Welcome Center for the NWMC campus will include exciting exhibits about Port Townsend’s and the organization's maritime history, a front desk for all NWMC activities, and a space for retail. In addition, the front door and dressing room will be modified to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to enhance accessibility. Finally, enhanced wayfinding signage will help those visiting NWMC to find where they need to go.

“We have long hoped to make our campus more welcoming and accessible to those who stop by for a visit,” said Katie Oman, Chief Operating Officer of NWMC. “We are so excited to make these changes this winter and be able to celebrate

Port Townsend’s unique maritime culture and engage folks in Northwest Maritime Center’s mission of providing transformative maritime experiences.”

NWMC and the Velocity coffee shop will remain open as normal during construction. During construction, the retail space at NWMC will be closed, though some items will be available at nwmaritime.org/shop and in the lobby of the Swan Hotel.

The new Welcome Center was funded by donations from friends of the Northwest Maritime Center, the State of Washington’s Heritage Capital Projects program administered by the Washington State Historical Society, and a grant from the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, for which NWMC is a pilot project and official partner.

“We’re thrilled to support the NWMC’s new Welcome Center, which will invite residents and visitors alike to dive into the region’s rich maritime heritage,” said Alex Gradwohl, Program Director of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area at the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.

Beach Repair Project The beach repair project, partially funded by FEMA, will fix the foundation of the concrete pathway and beach stairs at the NWMC plaza and protect the main building’s first and second floor deck supports after chronic beach erosion during major storms in recent years. The project involves repairing concrete steps and foundations, renewing upper beach sand and gravel, and placing new boulders to protect the beach and structure. » www.nwmaritime.org

EVENTS CALENDAR » www.nwmaritime.org/events DEMYSTIFYING MARINE FINISH March 23, 2024 NWMC Boatshop

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OUTBOARDS: MAINTENANCE, CARE, AND TROUBLESHOOTING April 4, 2024 NWMC Boatshop

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RACE TO ALASKA Application Deadline April 15, 2024 » r2ak.com

DECEMBER 2023

LETTERS

10 All the Power You Need

Response and Question Re: Andy Cross’s Article, “Predicaments in Paradise” from October 2023 Issue Andy, I enjoyed you article about predicaments. I too have a Raymarine C90 that’s mounted on a swing arm inside the cabin. I note you use an iPad with Navionics. What’s your setup in terms of power and shading the screen? Thanks.

Michael Scheurich Hi Michael, Both are good questions. For power, I installed a USB port to starboard of the helm where our engine controls are mounted.

Having the cord running across that narrow section of the cockpit is a small annoyance at times, but at least it keeps the iPad charged! For shading the screen, I installed a separate mount underneath the dodger to keep it out of the sun on bright days. The tradeoff is that it’s not as easily accessible from the helm. Hope that helps.

Model Shown Beta 38

Engineered to be Serviced Easily!

Andy Another Personal Experience with CBP Roam App Hello Joe,

Beta Marine West (Distributor) 400 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965 415-332-3507

Having read last month’s letters, I thought I’d share the following: On a quick sail to the San Juans late this summer, we decided to also make a brief foray into the Gulf Islands.

While in Friday Harbor I tried installing the CBP Roam app on my Android phone but was stopped cold during the setup/ registration step. The agent I spoke to stated that the app had stopped working on Android phones but continued to function with Apple products. He said that, without an Apple device, my only options to check in were to return to Friday Harbor or go to Roche Harbor and use the iPads in the kiosk at the (now unmanned) Customs dock. As our return route was Boundary Pass/Haro Strait, we opted for Roche given the distance to Friday Harbor.

After getting repeated “Entry Denied” messages on the iPads, I called the Friday Harbor office at the number provided. The agent was puzzled why I was using the kiosk instead of the app. I related my problems with the app and the conversation mentioned above. He let me through “this time” but seemed irritated, letting me know that the kiosk was open only to people who did not have the app, and that in the future my only re-entry choices were the app or to go through Friday Harbor... For obvious reasons, I didn’t point out the glaring contradictions.

In this day and age, given the ubiquity of these devices and maturity of the technology, I think we all deserve much better. If CBP makes this method a requirement for entry, they (and their contractors) should darn well make sure it works.

Pacific Northwest Dealer Network Emerald Marine

Anacortes, WA • 360-293-4161 www.emeraldmarine.com

Oregon Marine Industries

Portland, OR • 503-702-0123 info@betamarineoregon.com

Access Marine

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Sea Marine

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DECEMBER 2023

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low tides » News & Events LIGHTED BOAT PARADES AROUND THE REGION THIS MONTH

Photo Courtesy of Bellingham Yacht Club.

BELLINGHAM YACHT CLUB LIGHTED BOAT PARADE, DECEMBER 2

SEATTLE CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE ON LAKE UNION, DECEMBER 16

Bellingham Yacht Club (BYC) celebrates “Candyland Christmas Cruise” with the traditional Lighted Boat Parade on Dec. 2, 2023 starting at 5:30 p.m.

The public is invited to view the boats showing off twinkling and colorful lights and broadcasting holiday music.

The best viewing spots are Bellingham’s Boulevard Park and the Fairhaven Cruise Terminal. BYC membership is not required to participate in the parade and all who register are eligible to win prizes and join the after party.

“The Lighted Boat Parade is a Bellingham holiday tradition that families enjoy annually as our boats light up the Bay. Members of the boating community take a lot of pride being part of the parade and the competition is always stiff,” Fleet Captain Mike Unger explained. “We are also grateful to have the Coast Guard and a dedicated BYC safety boat nearby as maneuvering in the dark is challenging and safety is our priority.”

A party with music and refreshments will follow at Bellingham Yacht Club. » www.byc.org

The Seattle Christmas Boat Parade is a time-honored holiday tradition. Join the festivities out on the water for this annual holiday boating event. As every year, the Christmas Boat Parade isn't just fun and games, it is also centered around the Toy Drive donations for Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s holiday boating for a cause; and also helps support the active Pacific Northwest maritime community and industry on and around Lake Union.

The parade will begin at 7:00 p.m. on December 16, with registered boats checking in and lining up at 6:30. The route will take participants on a full loop of Lake Union but will require no bridge lifts. It all begins in front of Fremont Tugboats just east of the Aurora Bridge, and will conclude at the same end of the lake in front of the Judges' station at Morrison's North Star Fuel Dock.

Boats are encouraged to register in advance both to help out with the Toy Drive and to receive a parade participant number to be judged in the lighted boat contest. Tis the season, Seattle! » www.seattlechristmasboatparade.com

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ARGOSY CHRISTMAS SHIPS, NUMEROUS LOCATIONS AND DATES, RUNNING NOV 24 - DEC 23

Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship™ Festival is a ship-to-shore holiday celebration that has been a Northwest tradition since 1949. The Spirit of Seattle™, the Official Christmas Ship™, is decorated with hundreds of shimmery white lights and sails to different Puget Sound waterfront communities — around 40 in all. Choirs on board the Christmas Ship™ perform to guests aboard, to follow boats, and to communities gathered on shore.

With dozens of sailings on Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and Lake Union, check out the schedule to see when the Christmas Ship festivities will be near your home port, and consider decorating your boat and following along too! » www.argosycruises.com/christmasship-festival-schedule/ DECEMBER 2023

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DECEMBER 2023

low tides » News & Events LEGENDARY PACIFIC NORTHWEST DESIGNER, ROBERT "BOB" PERRY INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL SAILING HALL OF FAME CLASS OF '23 individuals serve to inspire current and future generations of sailors. It is with great honor that we recognize them for all of their achievements.”

“Thanks so much to the Hall of Fame for honoring Skip Etchells today,” said Tim Etchells, speaking on behalf of his father. “Dad would be humbled to be included in the Class of 2023....”

“That a kid from a small island, who didn’t go to high school, could be standing here now, is all because of how special our sport of sailing is,” said Peter Holmberg. “I’m so grateful to have found this path in life, that is the sport of sailing. It has given me the most beautiful life a person could dream of. Thank you to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee that felt I was deserving of this honor. I am forever touched.”

John Knox Marshall said, “...Sailing is a lifetime sport, a sport for men and for women, for young tigers and grey beards, and for those with widely varying talents. Particularly, it is a sport that rewards teamwork. I thank all the great people who have helped me be part of sailing: my mentors, ship mates, and my competitors."

The members of the Class of 2023 join 114 current National Sailing Hall of Famers. All are featured in the Legends of Sailing exhibition at The Sailing Museum in Newport, R.I. The inductees were nominated by sailors from across the United States. Nominations were reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of representatives from the NSHOF Board, previous inductees, the sailing media, the sailing industry, community sailing, a maritime museum, the cruising community, and US Sailing. » www.nshof.org

The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) recently announced the induction of its 13th class, comprising 10 sailors. Along with Perry, the Class of 2023 includes: Elwood Widmer “Skip” Etchells; Peter Holmberg; Sally Honey; John Kolius; William “Bill” Lapworth; John Knox Marshall; Charles “Charley” Morgan, and Richard “Dick” Stearns, III. The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tim Hogan.

The Class of 2023 was formally celebrated November 3-4, 2023, during an Induction Ceremony and Dinner in Newport Beach, California. As they took the podium to accept their honors, each of the inductees expressed their gratitude, thanked those who inspired and supported them throughout their careers, recognized the achievements of those who came before them, and illustrated what it means to be part of the great sport of sailing.

“The National Sailing Hall of Fame recognizes excellence in competition, innovative creativity, and contributions to the sport, as well as a lifetime of achievement and service,” said Board of Directors co-president Gary Jobson. “We want to congratulate all of the inductees this year, each representing the dedication, determination, and teamwork that our sport embodies. The stories of each of these distinguished

DICK ROSE WINS WORLD SAILING'S BEPPE CROCE TROPHY Seattle's Dick Rose was recognized internationally in November for his contribution to the sport that has spanned more than three decades. Rose is the person responsible for keeping all the changes to the rules during the four-year quad organized and changing the references to other rules and other parts of the rule book.

He is best known for his very careful attention to both the big picture of the sport as a whole, as well as fully researching and debating the consequences of a change. He works countless hours on the rules and on a number of rules-related working parties. During the Annual Conference he is the first to arrive and stays during the final Council meeting to be around if any questions on rules-related matters arise.

Rose is an inductee in the US National Sailing Hall of Fame.

His vast commitment and contributions to the sport of sailing were chronicled in a PNW Hero interview that ran in the March and April 2021 issue of 48° North. » www.sailing.org 48º NORTH

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DECEMBER 2023

low tides » News & Events MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 2024 SEATTLE BOAT SHOW FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 — SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 The 2024 Seattle Boat Show cruises into town on Friday, February 2 and sails on through Saturday, February 10, 2024.

It’s the largest show on the West Coast with two locations: indoors at Lumen Field Event Center — with hundreds of vessels of all kinds and three acres of accessories and services — and on the water at the Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina. A free shuttle runs continuously between both locations.

the BSU Experts reception held every evening from 4 - 6 p.m. in the new Seahawks Tunnel Club. The team at the Waggoner cruising guide will feature an expert guest every evening.

The 9-Day Seminar Package comes with it all: admission to all show days, every Boat Show University Course, a complimentary beer or wine each evening at the BSU Experts Reception, and online access to the recorded BSU courses until May 1, 2024.

FREE BOATING AND FISHING SEMINARS The show has always been known for its extensive line up of boating, fishing, and Boat Show U seminars. For 2024, the show is back to the pre-pandemic formula of three stages for the in-person fishing and boating seminars. This means there will be 177 seminars to choose from in 2024 — 107 more than 2023 — covering boating safety, fishing techniques, navigation, cruising, and the latest innovations, technology, and more.

OTHER FEATURES Fun features include wine and beer nights, Women’s Day (Mon. Feb 5), Twofer Tuesday Tickets, Dogs on Deck Thursday and a special Kids Aqua Zone full of family-friendly activities.

TICKETS: Tickets go on sale December 15 • Adult Ticket - $20.00 • 9-Day Pass - $40.00 • Kids 17 & Under - Free • Boat Show University Single Day - $60 • Boat Show University 9-day Package - $150 • (Boat Show University tickets available online only)

BOAT SHOW UNIVERSITY (BSU) More in-depth boating courses for a fee are available through Boat Show University — either in the form of a single day Boat Show University Course, or a 9-Day BSU Package. The singleday courses include a 2-hour course, single day admission to the show and, NEW for 2024, a complimentary beer or wine at

» www.SeattleBoatShow.com

low tides » In the Biz...

MARINE SERVICENTER WINS DOUBLE DEALER OF THE YEAR AWARDS — AGAIN! Congratulations to Marine Servicenter Pacific Northwest for its fifth consecutive North America Sailboat Dealer of the Year Award! Jeanneau ranked the top four dealers for 2023 and two locations of the Marine Servicenter dealership family were on the list.

Marine Servicenter Southern California was named the #1 Dealer of the Year for the second year in a row. Meanwhile Jeanneau named Marine Servicenter Pacific Northwest its #2 Dealer of the Year, also for the second consecutive year.

With the double Dealer of the Year Awards (again!) in 2023, Marine Servicenter is the most celebrated Jeanneau Sailboat Dealer in North America over the past decade, with a total of eight awards since 2016.

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Pictured from left to right are Thibaud Maudet (President Jeanneau America), Bradley Avery (MSC Marina Del Rey), John Sheppard (MSC Seattle), Catherine Guiader (Sales Manager Jeanneau America), Dan Krier (Vice President Marine Servicenter), and Tom Hall (MSC San Diego).

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The Dealer of the Year Award is given to top performing Dealers in North America based not only on sales volume but also on after-sales customer care, owner events, customer satisfaction, and overall service to the customer and the brand.

The Marine Servicenter crew sends out a big thank you to all of its Jeanneau owners in the Pacific Northwest and SoCal, and would like to share these awards with all of these happy owners.

These awards are not won by an individual alone, it takes a team of dedicated professionals to provide top notch customer care. The entire team at Marine Servicenter looks forward to continuing its tradition of high quality sales, service, and support for the community of Jeanneau owners. » www.marinesc.com DECEMBER 2023

low tides » Products News » RARITAN TANK ASSURE

There’s almost nothing worse on a cruising boat than inaccurate tank sensors, which is exactly what Raritan set out to change when designing their new TankAssure monitoring system. Ideal for black, gray, and potable water tanks, the sealed and submersible plug-and-play sensor minimizes wiring complexity and simplifies the installation process. It provides precise readings via the Raritan TankAssure companion app or simple readings through the LED panel. With an optional adapter, the device will display data on an NMEA 2000 networked MFD. Made in the USA, the maintenance-free TankAssure has a durable, rust-proof stainless steel sensor housing for reliability and a long service life. The unit comes with a 25-inch sensor cable and an LED monitor panel.

Price: $910.00 » www.raritaneng.com

» ZHIK 30L DRY BACKPACK

Zhik’s new highly durable 30L Backpack is designed and built for the sailor who is commuting to the office, day sailing, or traveling. Made with a 210 denier water resistant fabric, this highly functional bag has multiple internal storage sections for your various items. Dedicated compartments enable you to organize your laptop, pack shoes and spare gear separately, and keep all your contents clean and protected for a multi-activity day. You can get to the contents of the bag either through the top, or lie it flat and use the ‘oystershell opening’ for easy accessibility and packing. The cushioned back panel and adjustable displacement shoulder and chest straps allow optimal weight distribution to ensure outstanding comfort when carrying the pack fully loaded for extended periods of time. Duraflex® buckles are used throughout, with a water bottle holder, a variety of internal and external compartments, and a buckle-secured safety pocket for valuables. Side compression straps allow the bag to stay compact and comfortable on your back.

Price: $159.99 » www.zhik.com

» RAM MOUNTS TAB-TIGHT

Keeping your tablet waterproof is a great idea aboard any boat, but the problem is that bulky protective cases can be hard to store in a user-friendly way. To alleviate this problem, RAM Mounts has introduced their new Tab-Tite™ universal clamping cradle that consists of a 3.3-inch diameter suction cup twist lock base, double socket arm, and round base adapter. The Tab-Tite™ cradle includes a spring loaded back plate and custom support cups for 10-inch screen tablets with heavy duty waterproof cases. The spring loaded design makes it easy to load and unload your tablet, and keeps it secure while underway. Interchangeable cup ends are designed to optimize the functionality of your tablet, allowing access to audio jacks, USB, power, and other ports. The suction cup base is designed to have a strong hold on glass and non-porous plastic surfaces, including RAM adhesive disks. The mount is designed with a RAM 1-inch diameter patented rubber ball and socket system that has adjustment points at both ends of the double socket arm; this allows for almost infinite adjustment and perfect viewing angles. The Tab-Tite™ cradle is compatible with any tablet that will fit the product dimensions and it is important to verify the dimensions of your tablet when determining the overall size.

Price: $73.99 » www.rammount.com 48º NORTH

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DECEMBER 2023

CROSSWORD & TRIVIA 1

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The sense of smell is so critical to a shark that twothirds of its brain is devoted to processing scent data.

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Sharks and rays are farsighted.

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In many Caribbean and other tropical waters, stingrays gather by the hundreds into seabed depressions known as ray pits.

Stingrays have strong, blunt teeth that can crack even the hard shells of oysters.

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DID YOU KNOW?

by Bryan Henry

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Stingray spines have been used to make spear tips, daggers, needles, and awls.

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Members of the dolphin family — male pilot whales — can exceed 20 feet and weigh three tons.

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Bottlenose dolphins can grow to 14 feet long and weigh 600 pounds.

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Dolphins produce sounds in ranges that are 10 times higher pitched than humans can hear.

ACROSS

DOWN

1

Entire ship’s company, 2 words

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On the beach or on land

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Naval jail

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Purple color

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___skin

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A long way off, like the view of a look-out

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Avoid

13 Toward the stern

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Yes in Spain

14 Supply with gear

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Prepared

15 Swift current

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Courage

17 Round wooden plank which

10 Stairs in a ship

11 Line used to raise the head of

any sail

serves a similar purpose to a block in the standing rigging of large sailing vessels

19 Yes, Captain!

21 Santa __, CA 23 Got to the destination 26 Blender 27 Compass point, abbr.

28 Morse code word 29 Nautical speed measurement 30 Center of a storm 34 Historical span of time 35 Weather-proof jackets 36 Sailor for short 38 Turbulence behind a ship 39 Fish caught for its caviar

» See solution on page 50 48º NORTH

Time it takes for one aluminum can to decompose in our oceans: 200 years.

Only about 4 percent of the world’s oceans remain relatively healthy and unscathed by human activities.

The United Nations estimates that each square mile of ocean contains more than 45,000 bits of floating plastic.

12 ____ the waves 16 Relieve as pain 18 New Years ___ 20 Horizontal spar from which a sail

is suspended

21 Wave motion 22 Cloud or other weather

phenomenon that may be indicative of an upcoming storm

23 At right angles to the fore and

aft or centerline of a ship

24 Viewpoint

The surface layers of the oceans absorb more than half the solar energy reaching Earth.

The surface of the Earth is covered by 322 quintillion gallons of water.

About 250 species of tropical drift seeds and fruits ride the ocean currents of the world.

The world’s coral reefs cover 1 percent of the earth’s oceans and harbor more than 4,000 species of fish.

25 Calendar days 26 Manuscript, for short 31 Cleveland’s lake 32 Sound of large waves

Scientists have identified more than 230,000 creatures in the oceans, and many think it may be only 10 percent of what is truly there.

33 Swerve off course 37 Degree, abbr.

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DECEMBER 2023

18

THREE SHEETS NORTHWEST

TWO SAILORS WALK INTO A BAR AN INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE ELECTRICAL SEMINAR SPARKS A BEVY OF BOATY QUESTIONS

by Marty McOmber

electrical systems, and why we all should be worried about heading into the sweet hereafter, Viking-style, in a burning boat.

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he following are excerpts from a recorded conversation between me and my good friend, Garry Hoffman, at the bar, Anchor, in Port Townsend following Nigel Calder’s daylong seminar on boat electrical systems during the 2023 Wooden Boat Festival.

Garry owns a 1980 Baba 35, which he recently repowered with an electric motor. And I own a 1984 Passport 40 that I have fully rewired. In doing so, both of us have spent far too much time in parts of our boats not intended for human habitation.

The following conversation has been edited to omit some casual profanity, but otherwise, its two excited sailors — and boat owners — shooting the breeze about boat ownership, life afloat, 48º NORTH

Marty: Wow, that was a long day. So what do you think was like the big takeaway for you, Garry?

Garry: The first 80 percent of it, I was worried that my boat is going to burn down from the many ways that it can burn down.

M: I now know when I wake up at 4:00 in the morning, if I need something to worry about, I can just go through the 30 things I just learned I should be stressed about.

G: It’s terribly complicated. I need to think of my electrical system just like every other system. When was the last time I opened the electrical panel and just checked connectors? It’s like you put a new circuit in and then you just forget about it.

But what happens to it over time?

M: I always think I’ll never forget what I’m doing when I’m installing or fixing something on the boat. I mean, I just spent several weeks working intensely on this electrical project. And then a year later, I look at it and it’s like, ‘what did I do?’

G: The other thing I took away from Nigel’s seminar is it’s scary how a small mistake can cost you, right? Like accidentally putting a stainless steel washer between the fuse and wire (in an ANL-style fuse holder) causing resistance that then melts it.

Or how a loose nut or a bad connection can lead to disaster.

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DECEMBER 2023

M: One thing the seminar validated was some of the early choices I made during the 10 years of refitting projects. In terms of the boat’s electrical system, the first thing I thought was, “How do I reduce my demand as a starting point?” And then size the rest accordingly. It was nice to hear that’s a smart thing to do.

G: I liked that he made me comfortable by admitting he has messed up many times, just like I have. You know it didn’t make him stop, right? I mean, you just use that as a learning opportunity. And I think that’s a big differentiator when people get into boating — if you take it seriously, you have to enjoy solving problems and know that you’re going to have problems.

When I was installing my electric motor, I crimped a ring terminal too tight. Over the last four or five months, I’ve been sailing pretty hard. That terminal literally just worked loose to where it cracked completely and opened the circuit which stopped the cooling system. The solution was easy: I just had to cut it off, put a new terminal on, and I was back in business.

But that was the thing. I was like, ‘How many ring terminals did I crimp on that motor project? Hundreds.’ But that one made that circuit fail.

M: No matter how methodical you are, there’s going to be something you overlook and mess up, right? But one of the takeaways from today is that you can develop the knowledge to figure out what went wrong and then fix it. And that you need to have the fail-safes in place so when you actually mess up, you’re not going to, you know… die.

G: Thermal runaway!

M: That is going to be the name of your next boat.

G: Yes! Thermal runaway. All I can think about is my motor battery bank just melting down through the keel.

(Note: Calder discussed the dangers of a damaged battery entering a state of “thermal runaway,” in which increased temperature releases stored energy in the battery that increases temperature even more. In other words, when your boat battery goes supernova.)

M: Hahaha. Seriously, it’s one thing for you and I who have old boats to care about this stuff because we know that our boats were built in a different era. They had systems that aren’t up to snuff by today’s standards. But (Calder) was completely unsparing in showing how even some new boats right out of the factory were just horrendously wrong.

G: Yeah, in a way, I actually feel a lot better about my skill set now! It is kind of a weird gray area where you think about all the boats in a marina and how probably many of those electrical 48º NORTH

systems only get checked when someone’s trying to sell the boat and it goes through a survey.

M: It fully underscored that to me there are people who just love to go out and use their boats and that’s great, that’s wonderful. But if you’re going to own a boat — and be serious about it — you’ve got to love the other part of that, which is understanding the systems and then being willing to fix, troubleshoot, and repair them. Because if you aren’t that way, it is actually it does freak you out a little bit how many things could go wrong.

G: It would be interesting to take a poll of a large group of boaters to see where they fall. The long-range, offshore cruising types have a natural bent toward “you better know how to fix it because you’re on your own.” But admittedly, that’s probably a very small fraction of the people who are boating, right?

Take our friends (name withheld to protect the guilty). They bought a boat.

They don’t know anything about boats.

They are not handy. And I explained as they were starting out that they are either going to write a lot of checks (to repair things) or they are going to have problems that don’t get fixed. And they didn’t want to write checks. So they’ve owned the boat for like six years, and nothing has been done to it. It’s still sitting at the dock.

M: You’re right. We’re skewed in that we’re pretty committed to this as a very full-time kind of hobby.

G: I tell people all the time, I enjoyed putting the electric motor in. That was like a 6-month project over the winter.

I enjoyed that as much as I now enjoy using the boat. You know what I mean?

M: Absolutely I do. I don’t want to exclusively work on my boat. But I love to focus on an interesting project because it’s a set of challenges that you have to figure out, understand, and solve. It’s like an adult puzzle, basically.

G: Yeah… I’m literally going to go over every wire in my boat now and look for loose nuts and broken stuff. But that’s cool. That’s going to be fun.

M: Let’s get another beer first. Any final thoughts?

G: Try to make sure your boat doesn’t freaking burn down.

Because apparently there’s only 5,000 ways it could happen!

M: And if it does, it’s because you didn’t know something.

Marty McOmber is a Pacific Northwest sailor, writer, and strategic communications professional. He is currently working on refitting and improving his 1984 Passport 40, Rounder, for continued cruising adventures near and far.

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DECEMBER 2023

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CLOSE TO THE WATER

FINDING AWE ON THE WATER HAVE AN AWESOME NEW YEAR WHEREVER YOUR BOAT MAY TAKE YOU

by Bruce Bateau

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s boaters, we get to see the world from a unique perspective. We arrive in cities or towns by water, taking in the view of cliffs, trees, and mountains rising from the earth. Out on a bay, river, or lake, the glint of the sun or the water’s shifting tone as clouds roll in cannot be seen anywhere else. Up ahead, there’s an anomaly on the surface — is it a troop of frisky otters porpoising along the shore? Off to starboard, a tide race is churning the sea into whitewater along a reef. Everyone aboard crowds the rail to take it in. Experiences like these keep us returning to our boats, year after year.

Perhaps the best word to describe it is awe, which is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “a mixed feeling of reverence, fear, and wonder, caused by something majestic, sublime, sacred, etc.” In popular culture, party dudes have hijacked the word, diluting “awesome!” into a shorthand for thanks, excess, or anything good. But for boaters, seeing something awesome truly is a regular, memorable, and moving experience.

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As we wind down another year and head into 2024, I invite you to join me in recapturing the full experience of onthe-water awe.

My wife, Kate, had occasionally been a day sailor, but when she suddenly got a yearning to come cruising, she helped me further appreciate the sublime. One evening, we went for a walk along the Lopez Island road that fronts Fisherman Bay. I was sizing up the houses along the east side of the pavement when I suddenly realized that I’d left Kate behind. I turned and saw her standing silently, facing west. When I asked what she was looking at, she just waved an arm at the scene unfolding before her. Completely engaged by the transformation of the water from a respectable silver to a dozen shades of orange, burnt sienna, and ocher, she was speechless. She had discovered golden hour on the Salish Sea. Awesome.

Even as my catalog of adventures and on-the-water experiences steadily grows, I too find moments where words fail me. A few years ago, I’d tagged along

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with a group of small boat sailors deep in British Columbia. Low clouds hung in the sky and drifts of fog periodically obscured my view down a long channel.

It had been drizzling on and off all morning, but not enough to don proper rain gear. With a wind against the current, the water looked like crinkled aluminum foil. In the distance I could see a change in the texture, but only when I was nearly upon it did I realize I’d entered the edge of a stationary cloud dumping a massive amount of precipitation straight down, smoothing out the aluminumfoil disturbance of the water’s surface.

The rain was hitting so hard that I could watch individual droplets splashing and bouncing off the sea. Stunned, I stood there, mainsheet and tiller still in hand, as the water cascaded off my hat like a personal waterfall. Finally, when the first icy rivulets began pouring down my back, I snapped back to reality long enough to grab a coat and drape it over my shoulders. I sailed on, dumbstruck by the intensity of the rain. Awesome.

Experiencing awe doesn’t always DECEMBER 2023

Fog and sun mix on the water to create an awe-inspiring scene like no other.

The author’s wife, Kate, stops to take in the hues of golden hour over Fisherman Bay, Lopez Island. happen far from civilization, or during intense conditions. Just a few months ago, I’d spent a night at James Island State Park, four miles from Anacortes.

The west side of the island was bathed in the amber glow of the golden hour, but the east side sported a stellar view of the Cascade Mountains, with Mt. Baker alight in the last rays of the day. Strolling in a low spot that forms a campground there, I pulled out my camera to frame a picture.

“Did you get a good shot,” asked a man in a lawn chair.

“Not at all,” I said ruefully. “It looks so right with my eye, but on the screen, it’s just a tiny thing.”

“Yep,” he agreed.

We stood for a few minutes admiring the alpenglow; reds and oranges contrasting with the white snow on the peaks were captivating.

“I can’t imagine a better place to be on vacation,” the man said. “Every night, a different show. It’s so amazing.”

Our eyes scanned the surroundings and we observed the rippling waters of Rosario Strait contrasted with the silhouettes of scraggly fir trees perched on a headland. A few lights twinkled in town; a boat headed south, revealing the scale of the waters. I was glad to stand there in utter silence because saying another word would have taken away from the majesty of it all.

In the coming year, I hope that we’ll all linger in these moments of awe. Let’s cut the engine and drift, noticing small wonders, like a vast school of shiny bait fish shoaling and turning as one. Let’s anchor out, then row the dinghy to the shallows, creeping along the shoreline, riding the powerful force of the tide.

Let’s make an extra effort to bring a

landlubber aboard, sharing the joy or fear of the new, and reconnecting with marvels we may have taken for granted.

As for myself, I plan to experience the awesome while pushing into more exposed seas in my small boats, close enough to touch the water and see what lurks beneath, aware that a whale or a big gust could easily capsize my little craft. For me, all this brings on that state of awe.

Whether traveling by paddle, motor, or sail; alone or with a crew; overnighting on the beach, in a cockpit tent, or in a boat’s cozy cabin — let’s get out and have an awesome year.

Bruce Bateau sails and rows traditional boats with a modern twist in Portland, Oregon. His stories and adventures can be found at www.terrapintales.wordpress.com.

Golden hour at Winter Harbour on Saturna Island, B.C. is a thing of beauty.

A friend paddles past Cape Horn on the Columbia River as the sun breaks through the clouds.

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DECEMBER 2023

22

SHIFTING GEARS

WINTERIZING A POWERBOAT BRINGS FOND SAILING MEMORIES

by Dennis Bottemiller

one hand on the wheel and the other on the cute little manual windshield wiper handle all the way.

Now the work began. We pulled up the ramp to the wash down area and had a look at all the mussels and barnacles growing on the trim tabs and engine mounts. It’s amazing how fast those things grow and how hard they are to remove, the little freeloaders. We strapped her down to the trailer and triple checked everything before hitting the road. Our plan was to park Sea Lab in the driveway over the weekend for cleanup and then take her down to the storage yard before the weather deteriorated into real winter.

Of course, the next morning when I wanted to get an early start, it turned out to be the first frost of the season and boat cleaning at 33 degrees is hard on your hands. We decided to delay and wait for the sun to warm things up a little before we could really get into it. When the temperature climbed, and we were doing the multitude of big and little things necessary to ready the boat for winter, I began to reminisce about Moondance.

Winters were very different when we had our Cal 27, Moondance, moored in downtown Tacoma. Sure, there were some chores to get ready for the cold weather, but when it got a little too cold for work, we could close up the companionway and turn on the heat and cozy up in the spacious cabin and relax. Many times, on a winter Friday night, we would decide that we wanted to be out of the house for the weekend and Moondance was our refuge. We could quickly pack up some food and Tim Tim the sailor dog, and settle onto the boat for a long slow weekend of reading, cribbage, or strolling downtown

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his is our third winter with Sea Lab, our C-Dory 22 cruiser, and the end of each boating season has been a rush to find suitable storage. I wish we could keep her at home, but we live on a heavily wooded site and there is a remarkable amount of organic matter that falls out of the trees; and heaven forbid a whole one should come down on her.

Eventually, we found a space that was tolerably close to home, and the very next day dawned crisp and bright. It looked like good timing to get her across to Point Defiance and pull the boat out at the big launch ramp. As I cleared the roof rack of kayaks and waited for Tekla to get off work to help with shuttling, the wind started picking up. I knew the forecast was rainless for the next couple days, but I didn’t notice any particular mention of wind. By afternoon when we dropped the truck and trailer off at the ramp, the flag at Tacoma Yacht Club was straight out and snapping, hmm…

We motored out of Tyee Marina on Sea Lab, rounding the crusty ship breakwater at about 3:00 in the afternoon. The course ahead looked surprisingly smooth until we got beyond the protection of Browns Point. Then the north wind was pushing some pretty big chop. At least the current was with, not against the wind. Still, the waves were right on our beam so we had to adjust course a little so they didn’t bounce us off the bulkheads.

When we came around the breakwater at Pt. Defiance, the yacht club flag was still snapping, but we peacefully tied up to the dock after a bit more excitement than we bargained for. I had 48º NORTH

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DECEMBER 2023

Winter crossing of Commencement Bay in lively conditions.

Pesky mussels on Sea Lab’s transom. the weekend. The main activity turned into boat hopping and sharing heat with everyone who came by, perhaps along with a card game and a warm drink. New Year’s Eve came quickly enough and Paul the park ranger had a big fire going in one of the picnic shelters, along with bottles of champagne to share with all who would brave the cold. Of course, at midnight the fireworks in Seattle lit up the night sky over the Space Needle and the view was spectacular. Auld Lang Syne rang out through the chilly night air, and all in attendance had a night to remember.

When we crept from under the blankets the next morning, we found that the temperature had dropped to 28 degrees and, I don’t care how well your heater works, that’s a cold morning on a boat. It had snowed at some point during the night and the neighborhoods surrounding Puget Sound stood out in brilliant white. The wind was still blowing, but it was time for us to run for home.

to find a good taproom. Some of the nicest times we ever had on our sailboat were weekends in the slip. No errands to run or housework to do, just slow and pure rest away from the outside world. We have certainly enjoyed Sea Lab, but those winter weekends are something I miss about a sailboat that stays in the water year-round. Weekends on the trailer in the storage yard don’t sound very interesting, cozy, or relaxing!

Another thing that kept us on the water in winter with Moondance was exercising the motor. Everyone knows that machines that sit too long get grumpy and ill-behaved, so I always watched for a weather window to take Moondance out for preventative de-grumpification. It was usually just a motor around Commencement Bay, often on one of those mild winter days that are pure Pacific Northwest with glassy water and liquid sky, the mountain looming behind the Tacoma Dome.

Though obligatory, these quick trips were always peaceful and cool with all the interesting winter sea ducks we have around here.

Then there were a couple of winter trips when we brought Moondance to Blake Island for the New Year’s party that goes on at the state park docks every year.

One year in particular, we had a clear and cold weather forecast over the holiday weekend. We knew our heater worked well, so we threw in some extra blankets and nog and headed for the boat. We got underway at 8:30 a.m. and motored our way across Commencement Bay in a north wind and up Colvos Passage with help from the northflowing current. We decided it was too cold to sail, so we just hunkered down in the cockpit and steered to Blake.

We arrived at a nearly full marina, but there was a spot for us on the dock.

We tied up, met our new neighbors, and commenced with New Year’s activities. The weather turned really cold, and the wind picked up and continued to blow through 48º NORTH

Swabbing the deck in the forest.

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DECEMBER 2023

Snug quarters on Moondance for a chilly New Year's Eve.

We eased our way out of the marina and put up a double reefed main and our little Yankee-cut jib and were flying south as fast as we’ve ever gone. The thought kept entering my mind that if one of us went overboard into the rough water in freezing weather and so much wind, it would be the end; I pushed the thought down to stay focused. It was so cold. We made it back to Commencement Bay in record time. Sailing into the area where the big ships anchor, we prepared to pull the sails down.

Without a roller furling headsail, I had to go on deck to lower the jib. Tekla was having difficulty keeping Moondance into the wind, but I managed to get the jib down and stay on the boat, then I came back to douse the main.

With cold-clumsy fingers we motored our way back into the slip in gingerly fashion and immediately lit the heater. We sat in front of it for a long time getting feeling back into our hands and feet. We didn’t know it at the time, but I looked up wind speeds for the bay at the moment we arrived and they were a steady 30 knots. At points along the way, I remember feeling terrified and simultaneously thinking this was the best sailing I’ve ever had! I’m not sure Tekla would say the same, but she would say it was memorable.

I guess now that Sea Lab is on the trailer and the motor is winterized, a spontaneous decision to take advantage of an unexpected weather window for a holiday cruise will require a little more persuasion to get me off the couch. For all the fun and ease that we’ve experienced cruising our little powerboat during the sunnier seasons, winter brings some particular compromises compared to our years with a cruising sailboat.

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The space in the C-Dory is not quite so cozy as the sailboat, and all the cushions are in the basement. I can feel winter inertia setting in. Maybe I’ll rent a cabin in the mountains for the holidays, or just take a walk down Moondance memory lane again.

Dennis and his mate, Tekla, reside in Auburn, WA and usually keep Sea Lab in the water at Tyee Marina.

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Homeport for the holidays.

DECEMBER 2023

REE Ships F S! UP Ground

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seventhwavemarine@olypen.com DECEMBER 2023

O

ne of the things that we love about boating in the Pacific Northwest is the array of unique vessels that people use to enjoy our local waters. My Boat is the place to share them, and we’re pleased to introduce you to J. Foster Fanning and Catherine Brown, and their 1983 Nauticat 36 ketch-rigged pilothouse motor-sailer, Aarluk. Built in Finland, their Nauticat is homeported at Semiahmoo Marina in Blaine, Washington, where they’ve kept it since buying the boat in September 2022. Perfectly sized for the couple and, ideally suited for cruising the Inside Passage in comfort, they enjoy taking Aarluk to destinations all around the Salish Sea. Tell us a little about your boating background.

I’m a graduate student from the school of hard knocks and have been a boat owner for 40 years, approximately the same amount of time as my career in fire service. I’m a self-taught sailor with over five thousand coastal water miles and a small amount of bluewater sailing. We now sail an average 50-plus days per year. We are both long term sail club members; Catherine served eight years as secretary with the Rickey Point Sail Club on Lake Roosevelt in northeast Washington, where I was commodore for 10 years. We are also members of the Semiahmoo Marina Yacht Club. Together we’ve worked as part of several delivery crews in local waters and for one 1,000 mile stretch down the Atlantic seaboard.

MY BOAT

AARLUK 48º NORTH

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Tell us about your boat’s name.

Aarluk is the Inuit name for orca.

Catherine and I have lived and sailed in the Pacific Northwest for a long time and the pilothouse motor-sailer style of sailboat is something I’ve longed for throughout my 40-years as a boat owner.

When we succeeded in purchasing this vessel in September of 2022, we embarked on a lengthy dialog pertaining to naming the boat. Humans have been navigating the waters of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years before European explorers “discovered” this area. We wanted the boat name to reflect that as well as the magical experiences we’ve had in the company of orcas as DECEMBER 2023

Aarluk on a romping reach on the Salish Sea.

we’ve explored these waters. Aarluk fits our boat quite nicely.

What other boats have you owned before this one?

While this is my seventh sailing vessel and Catherine’s third, Aarluk is our first full-time water-moored boat. Our previous vessels, Aquila, a 1987 S2 9.2C, and Osprey a Lyle Hess 27 came to us with custom-built trailers that gave us the advantage of sailing on Lake Roosevelt, impinged by the Grand Coulee Dam, and in our coastal salt chuck waters.

Tell us the story of how you found your boat and what makes it special to you.

As mentioned, I’d “kicked tires” on many pilothouse sailing vessels. I even made a few offers on smaller Nauticats and one Fisher 37, but hadn’t succeeded in making the big purchase. The summer after I retired as fire chief, we really looked hard at a number of boats, but nothing came together. Truthfully, it takes a lot of effort to search out boats, negotiate with owners or brokers, travel to view boats, make offers, plan surveys, do research, and so much more. Catherine and I had just agreed that we needed a break from the intense process of boat searches.

Then, a week later, a good sailing friend sent me the link to this Nauticat 36 in Vancouver, British Columbia. I looked over the details, called the broker, and discovered the boat owner purchased the boat new and had it shipped from Finland to Vancouver in the early 1980s. I made 48º NORTH

the waters of the Pacific Northwest. The previous owner and his wife were both born in Finland and, like me, worked hard to be able to afford their dream boat; then, as a young engineer assigned to Vancouver, he talked his company into shipping his new boat to Canada’s West Coast. I had the broker invite the owners along for the sea trail and it was great to have them both aboard. They had a wealth of experience, although when they sailed the boat, they did so speaking Finnish, which made the sea trial quite interesting. They were glad to meet us and see that we were true sailors who would cherish the vessel.

an offer on the first phone call. I was the first offer. In the next few days our finances came together relatively easily with a good friend and fellow sailor purchasing my S2. Within a month after saying “I was done looking at boats,” I purchased my seventh one. Go figure!

What do you like best about your boat?

The pilothouse! And all the amenities it provides here in the Northwest, especially in the winter or when the weather is nasty.

I broke out in laughter the first time we had to use the windshield wipers. That was a wonderful first for us. While we are not racers, we were pleasantly surprised how well this boat sails.

What’s the history of your boat?

Nauticat is known as a family shipyard founded by the Finnish yachtsman and engineer Pentti Siltala in 1961. The shipyard’s history began with the release of the Nauticat 33 in 1961. Since then, the company has built more than 10 models of yachts from 33 to 53 feet. The total circulation was more than 3,000 boats, many of which are perfect for

What do you know now about your boat that you wish you’d known when you bought it? Would that have changed your mind?

The rigging survey I commissioned was a complete bust. There were a few masthead problems that resulted in us hiring another technician from Cascadian Yachts who got us in touch with a great sailmaker and rigger, Don Yager of Yager Aarluk’s owner’s enjoying a nice day underway on the bow.

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DECEMBER 2023

Sails. The result was a new ProFurl 320, which makes sailhandling and sailing much easier. Of course, while we were at it, I upgraded all of the running rigging and feel much better for having done so. I would have purchased the vessel anyway, but negotiated the offer to reflect at least part of this unexpected expenditure.

What’s your favorite story involving your boat?

In our S2 and previous Lyle Hess designed 27 footer, Catherine had to stand on the settee to see out of the cabin windows. As we sat below decks, our standard joke was that the whales were all waving to us as they swam by, but we couldn’t see them being stuck so deep below decks much of the time.

The pilothouse changes all that. We both have our favorite perches where we can survey our anchorage while enjoying that hot cuppa’ or glass of red wine. Plus, making passages in inclement weather is, well, a bit easier and a lot more comfortable.

The pilothouse is a gamechanger in the Pacific Northwest.

A desirable feature of a Nauticat’s pilothouse is the comforable seating area behind the helm.

Under the rainbow, Aarluk can be cruised in all seasons in the PNW. 48º NORTH

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Describe the most challenging situation you’ve experienced on your boat and how it performed.

One of my standard sayings is “All of my vessels have sailed better than I do.” It’s just the nature of the sport.

There’s always more to learn. That said, I knew better than to leave our standup paddleboards in their forward racks outside the life rail if the wind was forecast to kick up. Why I didn’t heed my own advice I’ll never know, but there we were in the northern reaches of Rosario Strait with a northerly building and blowing at 20-plus knots. Aarluk had been running under full sail but in the freshening breeze I decided to drop the mainsail. All my “knowledge” regarding sailing a ketch was, up until that time, book-learned or light air sailing. With the main down and the breeze continuing to freshen, spray was still slapping over the rail and onto the pilothouse top. The paddleboards were starting to take a pounding, which, of course, wasn’t good for the wooden capped life rail. Mistake number two was reefing the headsail but not the mizzen. Instantly the mizzen was overpowered, causing the boat to DECEMBER 2023

roundup with excessive weather-helm, and the pounding got worse. It was time to heave-to and restart the process.

Exercising Plan C, we did much better after that.

Where do you plan to take your boat? Do you have a dream destination?

We have cousins who are lifelong residents and boaters in Westport, Washington. Once our primary “todo list” is complete, I hope to get a taste of the ocean on Aarluk with a run down the coast for a visit. That will be the precursor to a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island or a run to Alaska, whichever comes first.

If someone gave you $20,000 that you could only spend on your boat, what would you do with it and why?

After the case of wine was stowed, the remainder of the funds would go towards an aft arch with davits, additional solar panels, and a teak swim platform.

If you could have any other boat, what would it be and why?

Installing a new furler made sailing Aarluk much easier.

A Nauticat 38. Because our slip in Semiahmoo will accommodate a 44 footer!

What didn’t we ask you about your boat that you wish we had?

How beautiful her wooden cabins are.

How near perfect the European joinery

is. How cozy and stable she feels. How comfortable it is to spend long stretches of time aboard. Cheers, and smooth sailing!

Want to share the story of your boat in a future column?

Contact andy@48north.com.

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DECEMBER 2023

SEWING SAILS UNDER SAIL

48º NORTH

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DECEMBER 2023

by Emma Biron

The author found an occasion early on to try her sewing machine underway.

I

’ve needed to use a lot of unfamiliar tools since entering the world of boat refits. Three years ago, I started out with a sledgehammer, then progressed through bevels and table saws to the trickiest tool I’ve used so far — a sewing machine.

Intricate, finicky, and fairly expensive, sewing machines are the polar opposite of sledgehammers, and the gulf between these tools reflects how far I’ve come. My 1965 Pearson Triton, Hecate, has transformed from a slimy derelict into a handsome vessel, and I’ve transformed from a greenhorn into a handyma’am.

After several years of work on my boat, which entailed replacing virtually every single part of it, the only thing that still looks a little ratty is the mainsail cover. My first mainsail, which came with the boat, didn’t get a cover. It didn’t deserve one. But my second, and current, mainsail, a thing of beauty, got a hand-me-down Leitch McBride cover. It fits my black-andwhite color scheme and keeps the sun off my sail, but half of the fasteners are missing and the seams are coming apart, so I always knew I’d want to replace it when I got a chance. Doing so has finally risen to the top of my prioritized to-do list, but rather than simply buy a new cover, I decided to take the long road and buy a Sailrite sewing machine so I could make my own.

I’d been thinking of buying a sewing machine for a while, but had always been intimidated by them. My mother’s machine, which I sometimes came across in the cupboard, was heavy and ugly, and the thread bewilderingly passed through some eight-or-so places from the spool to the needle. I liked the idea of sewing my own clothing, and after I got a sailboat I liked the idea of reupholstering my settee cushions, but I couldn’t motivate myself to buy a sewing machine when I was frequently moving from one cramped rental to another. None of my friends had sewing machines, so I couldn’t borrow theirs, and this also contributed to their intimidation factor. My boyfriend Trevor, who seemed to have every other tool I’d ever heard of, didn’t have one. But when I mentioned my dream of sewing myself a mainsail cover, he encouraged me to buy a sewing machine and learn how to use it.

As it turned out, I really needed the encouragement. When the Sailrite arrived we assembled it together, plugging in the pedal as the final step; but when I turned on the machine, the needle started plunging up and down vigorously, without anyone pressing the pedal. At first, we thought the pedal simply needed to be adjusted, but after opening the casing we discovered that one of the wires was completely unattached and needed to be re-soldered — and this was a brand new pedal! Thankfully, Trevor had the equipment and know-how to complete the repair and quickly re-soldered the wiring and, when we plugged it back in, the pedal worked properly.

Still, my confidence had been shaken, and I didn’t get around to threading the machine for another week. Eventually, I sewed a few strips of cloth together for practice, and then bought some fabric I liked and sewed a few cushion covers. My progress was modest, but I was relieved that I’d now learned enough to thread the machine without having to open the instruction manual each time. I expected that it would be a while until I 48º NORTH

So long, hanks!

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DECEMBER 2023

I sewed the 50 foot bolt rope on a few feet at a time. Trevor alternated between checking that the coast was clear up in the wheelhouse and helping me feed the sail through the machine.

The luff puckered a little in some places, but the stitch tension was properly set, and I happily zig-zagged from head to tack.

When the sail was finished, we hauled it up to the bow and fed the bolt rope into the roller furler, hoisting the tanbark sail against the blue sky. We picked up speed, and didn’t turn the engine on again until we were sailing past the container ships in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet at dusk. Success!

It turns out, sewing modifications on old sails is easier than sewing cushion covers. Sails are large enough that a few wobbling seams go mostly unnoticed, but cushions are small and viewed up-close. It wasn’t until I sewed my ninth cushion that turned out “just right.” I still have a ways to go before I’m ready to sew a new stackpack for my mainsail, but I’ve been happily practicing on many projects. Between our two boats, there’s a ton of things to be fixed, altered, and made new; and it is empowering to think I have the equipment and am developing some of the skills to complete those projects. It’s doubly exciting to think that I can work on them anywhere I have power to run the machine and the motivation to try — whether at a dock, at anchor or, as I learned in this unique experience on Bunga Raya, underway! Sewing machines are my new favorite tool.

By the ninth new cushion cover, the author had the process dialed. sewed my new cover or anything else “boaty,” but then the unexpected happened.

Early one morning, Trevor and I motored out of Pender Harbour on his sailing ketch, Bunga Raya, intending to reach Vancouver later that day. The wind soon picked up and we raised the mainsail and cut the engine. However, under mainsail alone, we slowed to a pace that wouldn’t get us to Vancouver before dark. We needed to keep to our schedule, but the real workhorse sail — the roller-furling headsail — was already in Vancouver with the sailmaker who was repairing it; and collecting it was actually one of the reasons we were going to Vancouver in the first place. The other sails were not well suited to our point of sail or the wind conditions, which quickly rose to 20 knots. The mizzen sail provided little efficiency for running downwind. There was a hank-on staysail, which we raised, but without a foresail the boat was somewhat unbalanced, with an overpowered stern. We also thought about putting up an asymmetric spinnaker, but the wind was too strong; it would have been a pain to raise and then fuss over.

We hemmed and hawed some more about what to do before Trevor suggested we use his old hank-on foresail. All I needed to do was cut the luff off the sail, where the hanks were, and sew a bolt-rope luff in its place so it could fit in the roller furling foil. He happened to have a spare bolt rope, which he’d taken off an old sail before it went to the dump, with the intention of someday putting it to use. He figured it would probably be the same length, more or less, and that it would be pretty easy for me to attach it to the sail with my sewing machine, which I’d brought along with us, thinking I might have time to sew more cushion covers. It was a sudden leap forward for me, but I couldn’t resist the prospect of stepping into a real-life Sailrite commercial.

The hank-on jib’s foot was much smaller than the usual headsail, but it still filled the interior of Bunga Raya. I rethreaded the machine with UV-resistant thread and used double-sided tape to stick the bolt rope in place, in preparation for sewing. I had bought these items and a stack pack kit online at the Sailrite store at the same time as the sewing machine, figuring I would use them one day in the future, when I was finally confident enough to make myself a new mainsail cover. I hadn’t imagined I would end up using them so soon.

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Emma Biron lives in Pender Harbour, B.C., and can often be seen sailing her Pearson Triton 28 around the harbor and beyond. In addition to sailing, she loves reading, writing, refits, and rowing.

Prepping to put up the sail with the new bolt rope sewn on by the author.

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DECEMBER 2023

‘Twas the Morning of Hightide

‘T

by David Casey

was the morning of hightide, and in the marina The brightwork did shine with a hint of patina; The burgees were hung on the yardarms with care, In hopes of adventures that sailors would share.

And then in a twinkling, so easy to see, A shift and a puff launched a few from the lee.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, The fleet spanned the waters of South Puget Sound.

The sheets were all snug on the fore and aft deck, Awaiting their crew to come give them a check; Laura in her parka, and I in my vest, Tended to Ariel after long weeks of rest.

Their fiberglass hulls shone from plumb bow to stern, And dark carbon jibs eased and trimmed-on in turn.

A gaggle of sailors did scuttle the rail, Prepping to put up the next fastest sail.

When out on the bay there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the deck to see what was the matter.

Away down the jetty I flew like a flash, Hurdling dock lines, avoiding a crash.

Their portholes did twinkle! Their winches so shiny!

Their masts were like pillars, their stanchions so tiny.

Each transom was shield-like, a half-moon or crescent, Each freeboard slung sleekly in rays luminescent.

The sun to the east and the tide ebbing slow, Gave a glimmer to non-skid on decks all aglow.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a fleet of race boats, sailed by those with no fear.

To tiller or wheel did each captain cling tight, With legs firmly placed to keep themselves upright.

Foul weather gear stretched and encircled their girth, And their jolly demeanors expressed all their mirth.

The crews were there rigging, bright-eyed and well-fed, I knew in a moment they were in good stead.

More rapid than orcas, they readied their rides, And following orders while joking in stride.

Then their spinnakers set, what a sight to behold!

And I smiled just a bit, with emotions controlled.

With a wink of my eye and a twist of my head, I relished the joy that their actions had spread.

“Raise mainsail! Now headsail! On halyards and sheets!

Trim backstay! More outhaul! Then fasten to cleats!”

Up the mast rose each main after its rhythmic haul, “Now sail away! Sail away! Sail away all!”

Most spoke not a word as their journey evolved, Though hard-fought, their contest would soon be resolved.

A close cross and hollers of “starboard” rang out, But all smiled and waved, there was no need to pout.

As waves crested forth with their frothy ascent, At just the right angle, boats surf their descent, So seeking their course, the flotilla did sleuth, Like silhouette shapes from Euclidean proofs.

Who knew chutes could sparkle on brisk winter days?

And soon they’d be finished with cheers and hoorays.

We heard someone say, as we watched with delight, “Happy sailing to all, may your worries be light!”

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DECEMBER 2023

FUN, FUNCTIONAL, AND REALLY FAST

48° NORTH BOAT TEST:

ARKSEN 30

by Joe Cline

“So, I just did the easiest 38.5 knots ever,” I texted a few friends.

I

f that doesn’t give you the hint that getting out on the new Arksen 30 is a different sort of boat test for me, I’m not sure what would. This is only the second non-sailboat test I’ve ever done for 48° North, but I’ve wanted to check out the Arksen 30 since I first laid eyes on it. The Arksen 30 is a sexy, speedy aluminum-hulled adventure boat with some very innovative features, including a fiberglass deck and cabin top for a blend of strength, relatively light weight, and durability. I just had to go for a ride.

But let’s back up. For the unfamiliar — as I was until a few months ago — Arksen is a UK-based designer of power yachts.

The 30 is part of their “Adventure Series” and is built in Poland. The Arksen 30 is a versatile and fast powerboat with a wide range of potential uses. It boasts large fuel capacity accommodating a range of more than 200 miles at 30 knots of boat speed. It sleeps two in a V-berth and could be cruised by a small family for a short trip with the main cabin settee converted into a bed. The 30 comes with a number of elegant modern systems that make it 48º NORTH

remarkably easy to use, considering all of its power and speed potential.

The Arksen 30’s hull is all form and function. The aluminum structure is shaped into a deep-V, prioritizing capability in nasty conditions over lowspeed planing. Both its material and its design differentiate it from many competitors and assert its focus on the combination of durable comfort and readiness for whatever conditions Puget Sound or the straits farther north might send its way. The aluminum hull is 8 mm, which is thicker than many hulls of the same material. All up including the engines, the 31-foot-2-inch hull with an 8-foot-6-inch beam has a total weight around 7,500 lbs.

The deck and cabin top structure is fiberglass, dropped into the aluminum hull. The choice of material here provides some weight savings as well as acoustic insulation. The top deck comes standard with roof rack attachments that will fit anything you’d be able to put on top of your car; from bikes to kayaks to skis and snowboards, or a roof box or even

34

a roof-top tent. The inclusion of this equipment as standard acknowledges that a boat with these design priorities needs some alternative storage options, but also suggests that the ideal Arksen 30 consumer might view the boat as a fun and fast way to travel to enjoy other adventurous outdoor activities. The other notable feature of the coachroof is the massive, opening sunroof.

Another unique design element of the hull is the closed-cell foam sponson found on either side. These are primarily intended to add a bit of user-friendly assurance when docking or to facilitate a quick fender-free pickup. Along with that, they actually come into play as part of the hull form in a tight turn, keeping the boat from rolling much beyond where they hit the water creating stability when cornering.

A lot of the Arksen’s real estate is devoted to an extremely cush interior main-salon/pilothouse. This is only a 30 foot boat, but it definitely makes the most of the space, with luxurious leather upholstery and quality finishes DECEMBER 2023

throughout. The main salon could make you believe you’re on a larger boat. I’d be as happy in there charging through a Pacific Northwest gale with the heater pumping as I would be relaxing with a glass of wine on a quiet summer evening.

There’s a settee table to port paired with a small galley to starboard, each of which sit aft of the primary helm station and a convertible copilot seat, which hinges forward to seat four at the table. The hull’s deep-V helps accommodate standing headroom for me at 6-feet, while keeping the cabin’s profile neatly proportioned to the hull. The forward V-berth had more than enough room for me to lie down, but wasn’t quite tall enough to sit upright in bed at least with the sliding hatch above the berth closed. There’s a small head to port just aft of the V-berth, opposite a storage locker to starboard.

The width of the Arksen’s cabin utilizes most of the available beam, sacrificing side deck width, which I learned when I went forward in my standard fashion to remove a fender at the start of our test.

Skirting along the side deck in socks while holding the roof rack, I was suddenly aware I had only about 5-inches of foothold.

Yet, as with so many aspects of the Arksen 30’s design, there’s a thoughtful accommodation: the V-berth’s sliding hatch has a removable stair attachment that gives the easiest possible access to the bow, whether for lounging or to go up and do actual boat work.

The model of the Arksen 30 I got to test had a couple of upgrades that would improve my experience of ownership in a few key ways. Though it is available with a single engine, the pair of 250hp Mercury outboards has the Arksen

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30 positively swimming in power and speed. Perhaps more important (warning, sailboat guy discovering powerboat tech), the twin engines worked seamlessly with the JPO joystick option in a way that was staggeringly impressive. In spite of literally thousands of sailboat dockings in my life, I still manage to discover new ways to be anxious about (and often screw up) docking powerboats. In addition to the joystick, the Arksen 30 has a bow thruster, giving you even more easy to manage, slow-speed, fingertip control for tight-quarter maneuverability. The twin engines move independently to enable the joystick’s functionality. Though I’m certain I could develop skills to get by without the joystick system, I can’t overstate how confident it would make me if I had to take care of my brand new boat immediately.

The sunny October day on Puget Sound I had for my test was exactly the wrong weather to see the Arksen 30 shine. Well, it still shined big time, but it did so rolling smoothly over flat water. Taking the helm — and bouncing on the hinged shockabsorbing seat — I had great visibility at all times except the most banked turns, and found the seat so comfortable I’d almost be bummed I could get to my destination so quickly. With all of its power, the throttle felt well dampened, not like I was at risk of jolting anybody off the boat with an unintended goose on the gas.

As I mentioned previously, the Arksen 30 ran at a surprisingly comfortable 38.5 knots. The top speed potential increases to 45 knots with only one person, partiallyfull fuel tanks, and ideal conditions. Still, the boat felt much more settled at 25-30

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knots, and owners will find significantly better fuel economy there anyway. I was quite impressed with the engines’ autotrim system. I quickly got the read that the boat trim settings are critical to its ride quality, as well as the boat’s efficiency. In the flat water, the smoothest ride came from an orientation trimmed slightly bowdown. In waves, boat trim up would be the move — but that setting in flat water had us bouncing unnecessarily.

There’s just so much about the Arksen 30 that seems as cool as it is comfortable, and as functional as it is fast. It’s clearly not some big cruising hog, but otherwise there’s very little it can’t do. And for between $400,000-$475,000 (depending on options) it’s fair to say it should.

I haven’t even mentioned the aft deck, which would clearly be the spot to hang in the best weather, but what separates the Arksen 30 as an awesome boat for the Pacific Northwest is its capable comfort in burly conditions. With the heater on in the swanky cabin, there’s not a day or a patch of water when the boat wouldn’t be a good choice on the Salish Sea. The Arksen 30 didn’t take anything away from my love of sailing, but it did open my eyes to how much I might also like to say, “Want to cruise to Vancouver for lunch and be back in time for dinner at home?” Whether you want your boat to be the swankiest commuter on the planet, or your platform to go backcountry skiing, fishing, mountain biking, camping, surfing, or just zipping around for the fun of it – the Arksen 30 would be a terrific option.

Joe Cline is the Managing Editor of 48° North. Special thanks to Ben Oaksmith of Oaksmith Yachts for taking me out on the

DECEMBER 2023

MUTUAL FULFILLMENT

by Samantha McLenachen

WEEKEND CRUISING WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

“H

old onto something, it’s about to get sporty!” I heard Andrew call from the helm as I plated dinner for five crew down in the galley. Right on cue, the dishes went sliding to starboard, and I spread my arms to protect them like a mama bird. The kids squealed with glee in the cockpit.

Actually, I think my husband also squealed pretty gleefully as well.

The author enjoying local sailing.

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It was July, and we were on our way south from Tacoma to Anderson Island for a little weekend cruise right in our own South Sound backyard. From shore, watching the classic white and green Washington State ferries cross back and forth to Vashon Island looks peaceful and slow, but it’s a lot more thrilling up close. Those vessels move fast, and we just try to stay out of their way. At this point on our weekend jaunt, we had to change course with little warning to avoid one, bringing the wind further aft toward the beam with our sails still set for close hauled. Sporty indeed. We hadn’t added a reef that day and, with a 65-foot mast, our Hunter Legend 43 has a lot of sail area to begin with.

Once the dinner plates were secure again, I popped up into the cockpit to ease the main and give everyone a look of mild exasperation. Safely out of the ferry’s path, we turned back upwind and continued toward our destination, the kids groaning in disappointment that the exciting bit was over. Still, it was an uncommonly windy day for a Pacific Northwest summer, and we sailed most of the way in a steady 12 to 15 knot breeze.

As the sun began to sink low, we gave up on tacking through the Tacoma Narrows and turned on the engine to get to our anchorage before the light disappeared. Oro Bay is a tight squeeze with multiple shoals, and we didn’t care to navigate it after dark.

We made it to the anchorage just in time for the kids’ bedtime.

After dropping the hook, we lowered the dinette table into a

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big bed for a full weekend of sleepover shenanigans. The kids typically sleep in their own cabins, but this trip was special — they got to bring a friend along. We were all grateful for the extra crew member; yes, even the grownups.

Though we often go on short cruises alone as a family, we’ve found that the children enjoy it a lot more when we arrange for some social time with other kids — either by planning to meet up with other kid boats or by bringing additional kid crew. In our experience, it’s worth the extra effort coordinating plans with other families or finding a friend who will agree to let me take their kid on a boating adventure for a couple of days. When the younger generation is happy, it makes everything a lot easier for the adult crew; something I’ve found to be true in life ashore as well as on the boat.

We really want boating to be a positive experience for our children, so we try to plan our trips with everyone’s interests in mind. Mutual fulfillment is the goal. Having a friend aboard isn’t only exciting for the kids, we grownups also get some satisfaction out of having a fresh set of eyes through which to experience this great lifestyle. Unlike our own children who have “been there” and “done that” — and often spend the trip asking how much longer it’s going to take or complaining about the lack of internet — a kid who isn’t familiar with boating sees everything with a new perspective. They’re eager to have a turn at the helm and to learn sail trim. Their enthusiasm is infectious and is usually enough to lure my more apathetic kids up on deck for some fresh air and sea mammal spotting.

Andrew and I had our own reasons for choosing Oro Bay that weekend. We’re trying to collect enough old local bricks to piece together a homemade heat shield in the saloon where we hope to put a wood stove in the future. Coincidentally, Anderson Island was once home to one of the worst brick factories in the region. Apparently, the inferior clay found on the island, along with an economic depression in the late 1800s, caused the company to stop producing after just a short time in business. From the public shore access landing in Oro Bay, an easy wooded trail takes you across Jacobs Point and to a beach littered with old bricks. We got to scavenge building materials while the kids threw rocks in the water and played on a giant driftwood seesaw. Mutual fulfillment achieved!

It’s a good thing it was only a half-mile walk on the trail to get back to our dinghy. That backpack full of bricks was heavy! I felt exhausted by the time we got back, and I had a little scratchiness in my throat. Hmm… Cruising with my family is just about my favorite thing, but the prospect of being sick does dampen the enthusiasm a bit. I took a Covid test… Phew, negative. What a relief! Could you imagine if someone had entrusted their kid to me in a very small space for a weekend, and I had exposed them to Covid?

We took it easy the rest of the afternoon and evening, motoring the dinghy around the bay to check out derelict boats stuck in the mud, swinging around gently at anchor, and watching the sunset from the cockpit. The only noisy neighbor in the bay was a harbor seal pup whose mama left them periodically to hunt.

The next day there was no wind, and we decided to motor the long way home. We had never been through Cormorant Passage on the east side of Ketron Island, the place where, a few years 48º NORTH

Tacking through Tacoma Narrows.

With the sun low in the sky, it was about time to turn on the engine.

An interested pal can help get other children up on deck and engaged in sailing.

The giant driftwood seesaw amongst old bricks.

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earlier, someone had stolen a plane from SeaTac Airport and crashed it. Intrigue awaited! But unfortunately, I missed most of it. I felt tired to my bones. Any and every horizontal surface was starting to look like a cozy spot to lay down and nap. I fell asleep in the cockpit while Andrew motored us back to Tacoma.

I thought perhaps I had just slept poorly over the weekend and needed to catch up on rest, strange since I normally sleep like a rock at anchor. This darn cruising cold looked unavoidable.

That afternoon, we tied up in our slip, and I took the kids’ friend up to meet his parents in the marina parking lot, thanking them for letting us bring him along for the weekend. I set off

Preparation for a good family experience might involve bringing games for fun times at anchor, especially in bad weather.

back down the dock to help with the long list of tasks for turning our sailboat from cruising mode back into a liveaboard. Tidy the lines, cover up the mainsail, plug everything back in, put all the stowed items back in their proper places. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help that day, however. The cozy settee was calling to me.

When I still felt “off” the next morning, I took another test — I did have Covid. Thankfully, no one else got sick, and our friend’s parents were very understanding. Believe it or not, in spite of sickness in the height of perfect summer, I think of this weekend cruise fondly. To me, it hits many of our principles of making cruising fun for the whole family.

Even with one parent not at their best, the cruising lifestyle is so rewarding. I’m grateful for every opportunity that sailing season in the Pacific Northwest provides. Life is fleeting, childhood especially, so we try to make the most of it. Though it is not always easy and brings its share of unexpected challenges, cruising with our kids gives us all so much. The experience is particularly rewarding when we go the extra mile to try to make it as fulfilling as possible for our children, with occasional guest appearances by friends open to buckling up their PFD and coming along for the adventure. Like this Anderson Island trip, each excursion is another chapter in our family story.

Samantha McLenachen and her husband, Andrew, live aboard with their children in Tacoma, Washington. They proudly own the newly opened marine repair business, Independent Marine Service.

FIVE IDEAS TO HELP YOUR KIDS ENJOY WEEKEND CRUISES 1. Be intentional about kids' social time. This is my number one recommendation for family cruising, and for good reason. Kids need to be around other kids, it’s a vital part of their development. Cruising tends to be a pretty social activity for adults, but it can take a little more intention and effort for kids. Invite one of their adventurous friends!

Get on the local family boating group on social media and share an anchorage with some other kid boats.

2. Pick destinations that offer something for everyone.

For family cruising, mutual fulfillment is key! Though meandering through art galleries and boutiques all day in a quaint seaside town sounds fantastic to me, I think my kids would hate that. Their favorite destinations include candy and toy shops and a playground within walking distance.

3. Choose easy, kid-friendly meals, especially on travel days. I’m talking about Fritos and canned chili. Don’t spend too much of your quality family time stuck in the galley. And definitely include your kids in the work, where appropriate. Older kids can provide valuable assistance when the sea state isn’t too rough, and even little ones can help get out dishes and bring meals up to the cockpit.

I also make cruising extra fun for the kids by buying foods 48º NORTH

we don’t normally indulge in, for us that’s things like Oreos, kettle cooked chips, and jerky.

4. Have a plan. A strict itinerary is seldom a smart way to cruise, but scoping out your options for exploration ahead of time can be really valuable. I like to look in local cruising guides for ideas before we go. I try to plan a weekend cruise with a menu of activity options, like a hike, a picnic on the beach, a dinghy cruise, card games in the cockpit, and a movie night. Kids are used to a fast-paced life these days, and slowing down on cruising trips can be a hard adjustment for them. Having a short list of things for them to look forward to can help with feelings of boredom or resentment.

5. Don’t be too attached to the plan. Are the kids content playing on the beach and reluctant to take your hike?

Consider scrapping it to live in the moment. Did you wake up to rain on your only full day at anchor? Bake cookies, get out art supplies, or play a board game. Being flexible and teaching your kids to do the same will help all of you enjoy your cruising weekends more. You may even end up having a more memorable time than you would have otherwise.

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DECEMBER 2023

SCHOONER MARTHA’S ROUND THE COUNTY

by Ocean Smith

I

sland after spit after peninsula fades away into the gray hues of a November morning. A breeze ripples the water, and gently rattles Martha’s halyards against her wooden masts. In the distance, the small shapes of sailboats speckle the depths of our vision. They sweep in from up and down Rosario Strait, rapidly filling the channel. In total, 119 boats of all makes and designs, and yet none that resemble Martha. She’s a schooner, and both the oldest and longest vessel on the course. We see our friend and rival Sir Isaac approaching in the distance; the only other schooner in the fleet.

This year, the Round the County Race that’s co-hosted by San Juan Island Sailing Club and Orcas Island Yacht Club is running in a counterclockwise direction, so it begins with a downwind start in the southerly wind, heading north to round Lawrence Point. Fingers of stronger pressure roll down prestart, prompting us to start with working sails flying. The main, jib, and stays’ls are raised rapidly by our crew of 12. I’m working the jib and forestays’l halyards. I’m a high school dinghy racer, which is a stark difference 48º NORTH

to racing on Martha. The fisherman and spinnaker are already lashed to the deck. Their sheets and halyards are led, and they’re ready to fly at a moment’s notice. The final long whistle finds us in the middle of the line, with racer cruisers and ULDBs obscuring both the boat and the pin. The call comes from the pit: “Raise the kite!” Jib comes down, and the asymmetrical spinnaker shoots up, flogging voraciously. In no time at all, we discover that the sheet was led through the lifelines, causing a few moments of panic while we transition the load to the speedily re-led lazy sheet.

The breeze is gusting well above 20, which suits Martha, but is wreaking its share of havoc for others — we see wipeouts and a couple of spinnakers blow up behind us. Seemingly minutes after the kite was up and pulling, we round Lawrence Point and trade the kite for the jib and fisherman. The rest of fleet has the option of holding the kite and sailing farther, or dropping it to follow the shore. There’s no question for us, as a reach is where Martha’s waterline and sail area truly pay off. The wind lightens

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up around here, with obvious holes where islands obstruct the southerly’s flow.

We’re towards the front of the rapidly converging PHRF fleets, and slowly gaining. The TP52s roll us before we reach the Sisters, their kites temporarily blocking the sun as they walk by.

Soon, Patos Island light appears around the headland, a sign that our reaching leg has come to an end. Little by little, we have crept up, and are leading the PHRF fleet. The sleds racing under the ORC handicap are long gone, having rounded Patos before we came into view.

Martha surges gently through the slight chop as we sheet in and head on the wind. I go back to sweat in the main stays’l — a powerful sail with no winch — then work the downhaul to douse the fisherman. We take a long tack, heading out into Boundary Pass. With the breeze still on, we decide to throw a reef in the main, putting Martha in the groove. As we head farther south, the reality of racing a classic schooner sets in. While she sails fast, she points significantly lower than the modern vessels. Repeatedly, a nice covering position we have over our fellow DECEMBER 2023

With big breeze and a rainbow, the fleet catapults downwind after Saturday's start.

competitors dissipates, as a leeward boat is able to pinch and sail right up from below us.

Many long tacks later and we’re laying Stuart Island’s Turn Point. It’s still shrouded by distance, almost indistinguishable from the islands in the backdrop. Sir Isaac has passed us on the upwind, along with much of the fleet. The crew holds onto the possibility of a reach after the point, but our close hauled port tack course makes that look improbable.

Turn Point doesn’t hold up to our hopes. We tack, set the fisherman, shake the reef, and continue on a close hauled course. Finally, barely before the finish line, we crack off a few degrees. Martha lights up, and is able to roll one boat before we cross the line. We take the fisherman down as we cross the line, and sail to our spot for the night in Roche Harbor.

Regular 48° North race writer, Stephanie Campbell, who spent Round the County racing with Paul Taylor’s Express 34, Wailana, had this to say

Martha absolutely flies on a reach.

about the first day and stopover at Roche: “For starters, I haven’t arrived that early in many years! The whole fleet filled the main guest dock by early afternoon. We got the sails folded and gear stowed just before the wind died and the rain started. The dock parties migrated to the big support boats and the race tents. We packed those tents like crazy! Free beer, live music, and steaming hot towels (if you were lucky and ran into Elise). “Ready for your rowdy” was not a typo in the skipper email after all. Also, evidently the people who arrived ahead of the rain squall weren’t interested in hugs from the rest of us. Eventually, we were hungry and tired, so we followed the island travel protocol and all 10 of us crammed into the back of a cargo van and off we went to the hotel for some wellearned shuteye! Thank you RTC volunteers — the festivities at Roche Harbor were as fun as ever and a good time was had by all.”

Sunday dawns cold and clear. We stow the dock lines, then meander out through sweeping Mosquito Pass. Lavish houses

The fleet trims up to begin a beat after the Patos Island lighthouse.

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line the banks, with manicured lawns and fancy docks.

At this start, we can’t escape the challenges of sharing the compact starting area between San Juan Island’s Hanbury Point and Henry Island (where there are rocky shoals on the west side) with a huge fleet of 119 boats. Surprising some, it’s another downwind start. The line is blatantly boat favored, leading to a crowded and contentious start. We end up on starboard, just about in the middle, and a few seconds late. While on Saturday the pressure quickly dispersed the fleet, Sunday has much calmer winds.

In the busy start, we are pushed out into Haro Strait with the fleet. We find ourselves unable to jibe closer to our ideal course but also not comfortable setting our spinnaker. A leeward boat tries to simultaneously head us up and set their spin, neither of which help them clear their air. We finally get room enough to jibe, and we set the spin once we’re comfortable on port tack. We’re heading south paralleling the western

J/111 65 Red Roses took the Overall ORC win at this year's Round the County.

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shore of San Juan Island, but still positioned outside of most of the fleet.

Our kite goes up smoothly — we learned our lesson to double-check rigging the day before. The wind is dying, and we can see boats dousing their spinnakers ahead of us. A little more breeze fills in on the beach, making us regret not being more aggressive in our attempts to get closer to shore.

It’s not long until we have to transition to the jib. We douse going slightly hot and, just after the tack is blown, look up to see the head start to part from the rest of the kite. It is an old spinnaker, so not too surprising, but any sort of rip is always a very disappointing sight.

We slowly get more powered up as the wind starts to veer. Before we’ve reached the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we’re close hauled, and taking long tacks up the shore. The part of the fleet who stayed along the shore gets their compensation and are able to short tack and stay in a little more pressure.

We continue our long tacks, again being reminded that upwind is a tough mode for Martha. There’s not much to do as the fleet slowly passes us. Looking for any improvement, we shake the reef, then decide we’re still overpowered and put it back in not even a minute later.

We make a few more tacks. The wind is diminishing, and we’re finally able

to shake out the reef. By this time, most of the fleet is well ahead of us.

We make a decision to switch to our gollywobbler; a sail that tacks to the foremast, and is flown instead of the fores’l and fisherman. Most of the fleet are just specks on the horizon, but we hold ground with two racer/cruisers and a lone trimaran.

Pressure in the distance prompts us to douse the gollywobbler just a few minutes after we set it. Finally, this pressure turns out to be real. It builds, and it builds fast. We douse the fisherman, as water pools at our feet and into our boots. It comes down, and we lash it to the deck and rush aft to put a deep reef in the main. Cattle Pass is just behind us, but Davidson Rock is still a ways ahead. There’s discussion of striking the jib, which is an alarming task when waves are breaking over the bow.

It’s just past 1:00 p.m. when the skipper calls it. We already have had a long day of upwind sailing, and we are sitting in dead last just trying to slog our way forwards. It is likely we could have finished, but it would have been past sunset. We fall off and reach through Cattle Pass. Our anchor grabs in Fish Creek, which is empty except for a few crab pots. The rain starts just as we finish flaking the jib, and we head below decks to the promise of a warm meal.

In a world of planing sportboats, Martha is a whole different beast. She can’t sail the same course as the sleds, yet she’ll rip on a reach. That advantage is null once she has to point upwind, which makes her sail a very different race, a race that can’t be described by ratings or numbers. The first day we corrected to second in our division, and 19th overall, right behind Sir Isaac. The second day, we retired deep into last place. All in all, it was a great weekend, with amazing competition across the board.

While we had a tough Sunday on Martha, around the fleet many will remember this as one of the best Round the County races ever. Tight racing, a lot of good wind, especially on Saturday, and mostly cooperative breeze directions meant short total elapsed times for many boats. Overall winners were the J/111 65 Red Roses among the two ORC classes, and the Swan 46 Setri across six PHRF divisions — each of whom also won their divisions. Other division winners were F45RC Cheekee Monkee, TP52 The Shadow II, J/120 Time Bandit, Wylie 42 Hana Mari, J/105 Creative took the J/105 one design division, our friends on the Burns 49 schooner Sir Isaac, and the Dufour 34 Invictus. Congratulations to all sailors!

Photos by Sean Trew.

Sunday's crowded start at the south end of Mosquito Pass, with Martha in the middle of the fleet.

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DECEMBER 2023

OCTOBER RACING AT ITS BEST SYC GRAND PRIX 2023

by Joe Cline

S

eattle Yacht Club’s venerable Grand Prix Regatta is unique in the variety it offers each year for racers — falling in late October over three days, you’re sure to get varied conditions. The committee’s decisions to mix distance and buoy racing nearly always makes it an excellent test of sailors’ skills and versatility. In 2023, conditions could not have cooperated more splendidly, with all race days pairing brisk fall temperatures with sun and, most importantly, breeze!

As ever, Grand Prix is an event that tends to draw out many of the biggest, fastest yachts in central Puget Sound. That was certainly true this year in Class 1 where I was sailing with three TP52s — Smoke, Glory, and Mist — and the Reichel/Pugh 55 Zvi. But Grand Prix is not just a big boat event; there were also one design fleets of J/80s and J/105s, and four other classes racing under either ORC or PHRF handicap systems. In all, 42 boats were out for three terrific days of fall racing.

I have always held that October is the best sailing month in the Pacific Northwest, an opinion I share with many others. And boy howdy if Friday wasn’t perfectly October! Sunshine splashed through broken clouds while 12-18 knots of chilly north wind whipped at the exposed flesh we allowed to peek out of our foulies. The northerly was paired with a flood for the afternoon’s race, which kept the water mostly flat. With such ideal conditions on Friday, pre-race rumors were confirmed, and we found a distance course displayed on the board of SYC’s stately committee boat, Portage Bay. The race committee must have been feeling a little creative, because in all the races I’ve sailed in central Puget Sound, the course was new to me — a trapezoid bringing Class 1 boats upwind to a temporary mark near Richmond Beach, reaching west to a mark near Jefferson Head, downwind to Blakely Rock, reaching back east to Duwamish Head, upwind to round the finish mark (presumably to allow for a shortened course, if necessary) downwind to West Point and a final beat across Shilshole Bay to the finish. There were a lot of marks to remember! And a lot of the race was sailed perpendicular to the breeze in trim-to-course reaching modes.

Under sunny skies, we got underway and charged upwind in 48º NORTH

some of the day’s more moderate breeze. For this race, and throughout the weekend, the general consistency of the wind meant that on Glory we spent more time evaluating which side of the race course had more breeze or current advantage, and less time playing shifts. This generally paid on Friday, and we had good speed, rounding the top mark in first and bearing away to the reach. As soon as we were making westward progress toward Jeff Head, it was clear we were going to have a close call with a southbound commercial ship. We had to trim upwind for a minute or two, and cut narrowly behind the massive freighter before bearing away again and hoisting the kite around the mark.

The run was as pleasant as it gets with some of the best breeze of the day, 14-18 knots. There was a small compression breeze advantage the farther west you were so, as the fleet made its way down the Sound, that was the game.

Glory and Zvi stayed tight through the run, while increasing a slight margin ahead of Smoke and Mist. We waited until the last second to get the kite down at Blakely and didn’t manage our best douse or transition to the next reach.

It was an uneventful trip east to Duwamish Head, where we were met with more commercial traffic at the turn, necessitating an immediate tack around the mark to avoid a tug and tow. The trip north through Elliott Bay got very fluky. Big shifts, surprising holes, and monster growlers coming through the Interbay cut. For the first portion, it didn’t seem to pay to be well inside, but by the time we neared Elliott Bay Marina, the closer to shore you were, the more favorable the current, breeze, and shifts. On the final lap in Shilshole Bay, Glory was able to extend a bit on the competition, taking line honors and the first race of the long weekend.

With the distance race in the books, we knew we’d likely be sailing buoy races the rest of the weekend. We headed out on the water for the second day of Grand Prix, and found zero breeze.

After a brief postponement, things got cookin’ again with a cold northerly hovering around 10 knots and sterling visibility. The day’s courses were set long — at least one as long as 14 miles in total for Class 1 — but the race committee was able to score three excellent races for all fleets. The committee really did a great job, with square starting lines and fair courses.

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Brilliant conditions each day helped Absolutely charge back for a podium finish.

Photo by Ben Towery.

Saturday’s Class 1 battles saw TP 52 Smoke find good form and consistency, sailing cleanly to finish the day with the best score line. They carried a one point lead over Glory into Sunday.

The second day of Grand Prix saw a few great battles brewing in other fleets, too. The group of boats in Class 2 has seen some of the tightest, most fun racing all season long, and this event was the latest in a riveting string of closely fought regattas. By the end of the day, Iain Christenson’s Farr 36 Annapurna and Abbey Norris’ King 40 Hydra had traded leads atop the class, and were

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each looking formidable. As Regan Edwards commented after a full day of racing on the Farr 30, Nefarious, “We sailed until the sun went down. Literally.”

Sunday dawned with more of the same: autumn sun and champagne sailing in a brisk northerly breeze. With two more well-run buoy races on the docket, there was still lots to play for and it was moving day in many fleets — with boats ascending to podium positions thanks to double bullets. In fact, six of seven classes saw the same boat win both races on Sunday. These top performances launched J/105 Peer Gynt from third at the end of Saturday to first overall in that hotly contested one design class, and helped the Farr 39ML Absolutely and Sunfast 3600 Rush secure the third podium spots in their competitive classes.

In Class 1, Sunday was a tour de force from Smoke. They started well, positioned themselves perfectly, had plenty of speed, and just didn’t give Glory or anyone else a real shot at their regatta lead. They sailed very well and deserved their win — hats off, Smoke team!

In the end, it was a classically great weekend of autumn racing at what is always one of the best events of the year. In addition to Smoke, around the fleet, class wins went to Annapurna, John Hoag’s 1D35 Shrek, Dan Randolph’s Farr 30, Nefarious, Paul Viola’s Peer Gynt in the J/105 fleet, Herb Cole’s Melges 24 Judo Chop taking the top spot in PHRF Class 6, and Lek Dimarucot topping the J/80 one-design class on Underdog.

Full results seattleyachtclub.org

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Title photo by Lisa Meoli.

DECEMBER 2023

by Jonathan McKee

RED RUBY REPORT RED RUBY CAPTURES ORC DOUBLEHANDED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

T

o win a championship, you need to be firing on all cylinders, and you also need a lucky break or two. This was one of those weeks. Peter Isler and I won Class B on the Jeanneau SunFast 3300 Red Ruby — which I coown with fellow Pacific Northwest sailors, Christina and Justin Wolfe — in the recent ORC Doublehanded Worlds.

After making its debut last year in Sweden, this second edition of the ORC Doublehanded Worlds was sailed in Barcelona, Spain in September, with 54 boats in 3 Divisions.

The ORC Doublehanded Offshore Worlds came onto my radar when I realized we were going to ship Red Ruby to Barcelona for the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October — meaning we were going to be in the neighborhood! Long story short, I signed my usual partner 48º NORTH

Alyosha Strum-Palerm and I up for the regatta, our first under the ORC rating system (In France and the UK we race under IRC).

Unfortunately, Alyosha got sick right before the regatta and a kismet solution was that my longtime friend Peter Isler happened to be in Barcelona, and wanted to race with me! What an opportunity to race doublehanded with such a legend. For anyone unfamiliar, among other extraordinary accomplishments throughout his career, Peter is a twotime America’s Cup winner as navigator on Stars and Stripes — nevermind that he had never raced doublehanded, or on Red Ruby.

Despite my enthusiasm, I had lowered my expectations for the event, though they were never that high in the first place, with our IRC-style boat and the

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prospect of “Mediterranean conditions”, which is another way of saying light air and lots of chop. So, my mentality was “let’s just prepare as well as we can, go racing, and have some fun.”

The night before the first race, they announced the course — a 180-miler up the Costa Brava and back, with a reach out into the Mediterranean in the middle. The race started in very light air and our worst fears about our speed in these conditions seemed justified. But then, we managed to get to the left of our fleet and pick up some wind closer to the coast. From there it was a nice medium-air downwind until dark, when it puffed up to 20 knots near the Cape of Begur. The rounding mark was the Illes Medes, just past the Cape but in a bay, where the lead boats slowed down a lot.

Peter was able to pick this up, since we DECEMBER 2023

Class B start on the Barcelona city front.

were a few miles back from the bigger boats, and we skirted around the hole to lead our class at the turning mark. This was going better than expected!

The next beam reach was dark but fast, with a J2 on the rail, genoa staysail, and full main. Twenty wet miles went by in a flash, then we were heading back to the coast on a similar angle. We hoisted the Code Zero and were really ripping for a while, until we weren’t. The breeze abruptly died, and eventually came softly from the north. We managed the transition alright and got back around the Illes Medes in 6 knots of wind. After setting the A1.5, the breeze was getting fluky, and we worked our way closer to the coast. We were rewarded with some decent land breeze for an hour or so, while the boats outside had little wind. That sort of put us in good shape with our class, with only one Figaro 2 apparently in striking distance.

Things were looking good, but we still had 50 miles to go, downwind in a fickle breeze. In the end, we found the speed to stay ahead, and the wind held until we got to the finish. Whew! Victory by over 30 minutes. We were somewhat in shock as we motored into the marina, tired but happy with our efforts, even if we got some good breaks — like an all downwind race!

After a recovery day, we got under way in the deciding Race 2, a 65-mile course.

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The breeze started light from the south but quickly built to 10, then 13 knots.

We got a so-so start, but then got clear on port to be among the leaders after the 2-mile upwind leg. Then it was a long spinnaker reach to the seaside town of Blanes. We had a good set and sagged low to find a passing lane to leeward of the boats ahead. The boat was going fast and we ultimately got free air and into the lead. At the turning mark, the Italia 11.98 was close behind, but we had a pretty good lead on everyone else. A simple 32 mile one-tack beat to the finish in Barcelona. What could go

wrong?

For the first two hours, the breeze stayed over 10 and we were going well, straight towards the finish. But then the wind began to fade, as forecast. The chop remained, and we started slowing down.

The pack behind was quickly getting closer and we were passed by one boat at close range, then another. It was not looking good. Somewhat in desperation, we set the Code Zero and began footing to get closer to the coast. An hour later the wind totally died, which is when we noticed some boats right on the shore, going 5 knots! We fought extra hard to

Friends and new ORC Doublehanded World Champions, Peter Isler (left) and Jonathan McKee.

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DECEMBER 2023

Red Ruby has a memorable, if stressful, finish off Barcelona. get closer to land, but had hardly a puff to work with.

Eventually we got some wind, set the kite, and held our breath for the final 5 miles to the finish. Nearly the whole fleet got the breeze just after, and most of our class were right together at the finish. However, we were just clear enough of the pack to score third for the

race, and secure our overall Class B win in a fleet of 22 fellow competitors.

Needless to say, the end of that race in the twinkling city lights off Barcelona was a memorable but somewhat stressful time. We hung in and fought hard and, in the end, we had done just enough.

It was cool to sail with someone as

smart and experienced, yet cerebral, as Peter. We trusted each other and backed each other up, as a good team does. It was a surprising result to me, but in this highly tactical racing, anything can happen, so never give up, keep trying to make good decisions, and let the chips fall where they may. Peter and I won the regatta, but full credit goes to the whole Red Ruby sailing team this year, including Chris and Justin Wolfe, Alyosha Strum-Palerm, and Carl Buchan, for making meaningful contributions to getting fast and sailing the boat well. It has been a great summer of racing!

Also making this championship rewarding was the chance to get to know some of the other competitors.

Doublehanded sailors have a unique camaraderie, with their partner, but also with the other teams that share in the same joys and challenges. We hope to see some of our new friends again, they remind us why we are so passionate about this type of sailing.

Photos by Oscar Torveo courtesy of ORC World Championship.

The author atop the ORC Doublehanded Worlds podium.

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DECEMBER 2023

A BIG EVENT FOR SMALL BOATS CYC SEATTLE’S TURKEY BOWL

C

orinthian Yacht Club of Seattle’s traditional preThanksiving event, Turkey Bowl, has been running a long time, but it hasn’t always been so well attended as it was in 2023. This year boasted a fabulous turnout, with racing on north and south courses, including many youth sailors as well as a one-design start for the rapidly-growing J/70 fleet.

While the J/70s might be the hot fleet at the moment in many ways, their five-boat class was no great shakes in terms of participation at this year’s Turkey Bowl. There were 10 Lasers, 11 RS Aeros, 7 C420s, 16 Laser Radials, 10 FJs, 5 Laser 4.7s, 16 optimists, and 5 Stars.

Though there were some dismal looking forecasts even late in the week, the actual conditions turned out better than predicted, especially for the north course boats, who got a total of at least seven, and up to nine, races scored. The south course dinghy fleets with younger sailors didn’t get as much racing in on Saturday, but still had a full day of racing on Sunday.

Kurt Hoehne was racing in the RS Aero fleet and summed up the racing like this: "It was good, close racing in the RS Aero fleet, though the drifting races left something to be desired. All the world championship experience in this fleet is great — and humbling."

There was great racing in all fleets, but the J/70 crew has been most communicative about their experience. J/70 fleet coach and organizer, Ron Rosenberg, described Saturday’s southerly conditions and three races as, “A super fun, super challenging day on the water!” Rosenberg elaborated, “The racing was tight and quite well mixed among our J/70 teams as we all worked hard to get off the line well, keep the boats fast,

and connect the dots with the light, shifty, puffy wind while still trying to position well with the ever-changing current. I felt like today was one of those days where both the speed team and the strategy team were pushed hard to produce all day long. Shifting gears was a high priority for both upwind and downwind speed as the breeze did not seem to remain consistent for more than about 30-45 seconds at a time. Kudos to Boris and his team of high schoolers from Orcas and also Pat Dore with his high schoolers from Tacoma. Both of these young teams spent most of the day out in front of the pack.”

Longtime Seattle sailor but newcomer to the J/70 fleet, Lek Dimarucot, had this to share: “Fun racing with the J/70 fleet at Turkey Bowl this weekend, with a high school team that won a spot in the National Keelboat Invitational next month.

I got to helm my first J/70 race (thanks to Pat Dore) and the race committee pulled off nine races, including five in a rare easterly on Sunday that just kept on going like the Energizer bunny. It was also great to share a course with Aeros, Stars, and Lasers, and not be the small boat dodging bigger boats.”

Well done to CYC for having such an excellent Turkey Bowl 2023, thanks to the Race Committee, and mainly congrats to all the participating sailors who made it a great event. Around the fleets, class honors went to: Henry Tuttle among the C420s, Kaitlyn Beaver in the Laser Radial, Lydia Carscaddon in the FJ, Noelani Li in the Laser 4.7, Sebastian Samano in the Opti, Boris Luchterhand and the high schoolers from Orcas in the J/70 fleet, Derek DeCouteau in the Star, Alex Zaputil in the Laser, and Keith Hammer in the RS Aero. What a weekend, gobble gobble!

An easterly breeze and a double rainbow... what does it mean?

Photo by Lek Dimarucot.

48º NORTH

What an extraordinary flurry of activity on the dinghy docks at CYC! Photo by Lek Dimarucot.

47

DECEMBER 2023

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE

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36’ ERICSON RON HOLLAND DESIGN Performance cruiser with many updated features: new 125 genoa, new dodger, sail cover, wheel autopilot.

Sleeps 8 with pilot berths. Water cooled refer. Diesel hot water heater. Inverter, battery charger, radar, the list goes on. All this and more! » Contact Stephen Speidel • 1(760) 914-3409 • steveandterris@hotmail.com • $25,000

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TENDER FOR SALE 10 foot dinghy. Epoxy encapsulated, Chesapeake Light Craft Dinghy Kit. » Contact Richard Groesbeck • (360) 739-1575 • dickgroesbeck@gmail.com • $4,000 OBO

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1997 CATALINA 42 MK. II 2-Cabin pullman layout. Perfect Northwest cruiser with full cockpit enclosure and propane furnace.

Recent updates include full canvas, Doyle StackPack, new Rocna anchor/chain/rode, replaced windlass, new 3-burner Force 10 stove, new prop shaft and seal. Raymarine auto pilot, chart plotter, radar.

913 Hours on well-maintained Yanmar diesel.

10 Ft Mercury inflatable and 9.8 HP outboard. » Contact c_loader@msn.com • $129,900

48º NORTH

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28' BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER Built 1986 by the Sam Morse Co. Volvo D1-30 28hp low hours. Diesel bulkhead heater, Monitor windvane, 3 burner Force 10 propane stove with oven and broiler. Jib, staysail, mainsail, drifter, storm jib, storm trysail. Located Sitka, AK. Details at bristolchannelcutterforsale.com » Contact John Herchenrider • (907) 752-5033 • johnherch@gmail.com • $69,000

$

CUSTOM 43’ EDSON SCHOCK KETCH (1973) Professionally built of mahogany planking over oak frames, Debonair has been lovingly maintained.

Extensive upgrades include new electrical and 75hp Yanmar. Consistently turning heads, Debonair is a seaworthy passage-maker, recently completing a 16,000nm tour of the South and North Pacific.

From rig to sails, systems to safety, Debonair is voyage-ready. Details: porttownsendboatco.com or www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1973-custom-edsonschock-43'-ketch-8441971/ » Contact Vance Rucker • ketchdebonair@gmail.com • $79,500

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38' INGRID KETCH DONNA MARIE Designed by William Atkin, built by Don Pitblado, launched in 1969. Only the second owner! Replaced kerosene lights with LED’s and brought much else into the current century. Sails fantastically! Comes with a 2.5 year prepaid buoy Vashon. Only selling because I’ve moved to NM! » Contact Martin Adams • (206) 713-1170 • catgilliam@gmail.com • $45,000

DECEMBER 2023

BOATS FOR SALE

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4,9

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

INSTRUCTION

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No ocean too big, no trip too small, no ship too large, no mast too tall, sail or power, we move them all!!!

When you are ready, give us a call.

Professional service since 1967.

CappyTom@aol.com • (206) 390-1596

Basic through Advanced Sailing Lessons Week-long Cruise & Learn lessons Spinnaker, Intro and Advance Racing Classes Gill foulweather gear & Dubarry footwear

VENTURE OF NEWPORT 23 Very attractive. Jaunty and sassy looking. Constant admiration at the dock. Swing keel. Pop top giving massive headroom. Most capacious of most any boat of 2000# bare. Very good galvanized. roller trailer (one issue). Excellent cushions. » Contact Richard Dodge • (206) 954-7208 • dodgerichard027@gmail.com • $4,999

MOORAGE

INSTRUCTION

Tethys

206-782-5100

www.seattlesailing.com info@seattlesailing.com 7001 Seaview Ave NW Suite 130

Offshore Sailing for Women Nancy Erley, Instructor

206.789.5118 nancy@tethysoffshore.com www.tethysoffshore.com

(Shilshole Bay Marina in Port of Seattle Building)

MARINE EQUIPMENT

LIBERTY BAY MARINA 40’ – 48’ – 60’ slips.

Great location in Poulsbo, WA Restrooms, Showers.

Call the Marina Manager for availability and waitlist options: 360-779-7762

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Full service rig shop serving Puget Sound

Cliff Hennen

(360) 207-5016 • (206) 718-5582

American Sailing Association courses Basic Keelboat 101 through Advanced Coastal 206 Based in Beautiful Anacortes, WA www.sailtime.com/anacortes/sailing-school info@seattleyachts.com 360-299-0777

www.evergreenrigging.com

The Systems Specialists

SEATTLE’S NEW

Based at Elliott Bay Marina

Please contact us to arrange a visit: 206-285-3632 E-mail: info@emharbor.com Electronics E-mail: larry@emharbor.com

www.emharbor.com 48º NORTH

Support the next generation of maritime professionals nwmaritime.org/MHS 49

For even more photos and listings check out 48north.com/classifieds DECEMBER 2023

MARINE EQUIPMENT

CLUBS

CLUBS

Bellevue Sail & Power Squadron, we are America’s Boating Club of Bellevue

Bellevue Sail & Power Squadron, we are America’s Boating Club of Bellevue

THE POWER OF EDUCATION

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Website: Boating Classes | Bellevue Sail And

Website: Boating Classes | Bellevue Sail And

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Gill foulweather gear & Dubarry footwear

Asymetrical drifters & spinnakers Classic Sails (Gaff, Sprit & Lugs) Performance furling & G-SpinnTM Sails Light Air Sails

206-782-5100

www.seattlesailing.com info@seattlesailing.com 7001 Seaview Ave NW Suite 130

we design & make custom sails in washington state!

(Shilshole Bay Marina in Port of Seattle Building)

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Power Squadron | Bellevue

Fractional Membership makes boating affordable & easy!

Your boat is ready when you are! https://sailtime.com/location/anacortes

info@seattleyachts.com 360-299-0777

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO BRING YOU 48° NORTH Ballard Sails & Yacht Repair.................... 43 Beta Marine West....................................... 10 Cape George Marine Works..................... 11 CSR Marine.................................................. 43 Drivelines NW............................................. 25 Elliott Bay Yacht Sales.............................. 51 Fisheries Supply............................................4 Gig Harbor Boat Works............................. 11 Iverson's Design......................................... 13 Marine Service Center.............................. 56 Northwest Maritime Center........13, 25, 51 Northwest Rigging..................................... 13 Port of Friday Harbor................................ 29 Port of Port Townsend.................................8 Sail Northwest...............................................2 Sailrite.............................................................7 San Juan Sailing......................................... 29 Seattle Sailing Club......................................3 Seattle Yachts............................................. 54 Seattle Yachts Sailing Academy............. 11 Seventh Wave Marine............................... 25 Signature Yachts......................................... 55 Swiftsure Yachts......................................... 53 Ullman Sails................................................ 13 Waterline Boats.......................................... 51 Yachtfinders/ Windseekers..................... 52 DECEMBER 2023

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SailboatS 52’ Tayana Deck Saloon ’07 .........$375,000 48’ Celestial CC ‘90 ....................... $125,000 48’ Celestial

40’ Hunter

47’ Beneteau ‘05 ..................... N ew l iStiNg 44’ Worldcruiser Schooner ‘79 ..... $195,000 40’ Hunter ’13 ...................................$167,000 39‘ Farr 395 ’01 ...............................$110,000 31’ Catalina ‘00 ................................ $64,900

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52’ Tayana

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View our entire inventory of boats for sale at waterlineboats.com NORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER 431 Water Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 48º NORTH

1997 PROTHERO & FRANKEN 65

1987 BAYLINER 4550 PILOTHOUSE

1976 SEA RAY 440 REDUCED

1995 EAGLE 40 TRAWLER

WATERLINEBOATS.COM | 206.282.0110 - SEATTLE | 425.278.9846 - EVERETT | 564.218.5201 - PORT TOWNSEND

51

DECEMBER 2023

Professionally staffed!

Open 6 days, Sun by appt.

(619) 224-2349 • Fax (619) 224-4692 • 2330 Shelter Island Dr. #207 San Diego, CA 92106 www.yachtfinders.biz • info@yachtfinders.biz

A Leader in Brokerage Sales on the West Coast

“CHARDONNAY III” Turnkey Subchapter T vessel ready for charter business. Great opportunity to obtain a swift sailing passengers-for-hire boat

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70’ SANTA CRUZ 70 ’85 .................... $375,000

44’ KELLY PETERSON KP44 ’77... $ 5 9 , 5 0 0 38’ CATALINA 38 ’83........... $39,500 “GRACE” Classic performance cruiser. “MEANDROS” The ultimate cruiser/racer.

Beautiful lines and well-maintained Classic lines, recent sails and a spacious brightwork. New rigging and chainplates. and beautifully updated interior.

54’ ROBERTS 54 ’79 .................... $249,500 “SPIRIT” Rugged bluewater vessel designed with comfort and safety in mind. Nicely upgraded.Coast Guard Certified for up to 42 passengers.

41’ NEWPORT 41 ’80 .......... $49,500 37’ HUNTER LEGEND 37.5 ’94 ... $6 7,000 “PETREL” Thinking of sailing to distant “LADY LEE”Well-maintained performance horizons and exploring the world? cruiser. Spacious liveaboard interior. Slip PETREL could easily fulfill your dreams. may be available to new owner.

28’ BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER 28 ’82 ...$79,000

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR BOAT? LET US HELP!

“KOTURA” One of the most capable small ocean cruisers ever made. Hull built by the Sam L. Morse yard. Ready for any adventure, anywhere.

Power or Sail, we have buyers waiting! Call: 619.224.2349 or email: info@yachtfinders.biz

38’ PEARSON INVICTA II ’66 ...$49,500 “JIGGER” Custom companionway, interior upgrades, newer standing rigging and Yanmar diesel. A real treat!

The new Seattle Area Racing Calendar goes live Jan. 2, 2024!

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48º NORTH

52

DECEMBER 2023

QUALITY YACHTS FROM SWIFTSUREYACHTS.COM Kismet 2003 Sabre 426 $287,000

Sabre Yachts has built some of the most well-appointed performance cruisers, and the 426 is one of their best. Superb joinery, quality sailing gear and Jim Taylor’s solid design set the Sabre 426 apart from many of today’s production boats. Kismet spent most of her life on the Great Lakes until 2016 when she was trucked from Harbor Springs, MI to Marion, MA. Since 2017 Kismet has enjoyed summer sailing in New England with inside, winter storage and annual maintenance at Burr Brothers Boats. Her flag blue topsides, varnished toe rail, handrails, and beautifully crafted solid cherry woodwork convey Kismet’s highquality feel. Inspection shows Kismet in superb condition.

Kismet shows as a much newer boat than her stated age. With her shoal draft wing keel, air conditioning, and updated electronics, Kismet is an excellent option for sailors wishing to cruise the east coast and beyond.

Her superb condition makes this desirable Sabre 426 an excellent value. price reduced

price reduced

Valiant 42 • 2008 • $284,000

price reduced

Beneteau 473 • 2005 • $219,000

Jeanneau 440 • 2020 • $429,000

Hallberg-Rassy 42 • 1999 • $269,000

Hallberg-Rassy 46 • 2003 • inquire

Custom Perry PH 48 • 1995 • $289,000

price reduced

Back Cove 34 • 2016 • $439,000

Hinckley Sou’wester 59 • 1997 • $549,000

70 Wylie 1993 $279,000 42 Valiant 56 Coastal Craft 2012$1,750,000 42 Sabre 426 52 Santa Cruz 2001 $399,000 41 Sceptre 49 Bavaria 2003 $199,000 40 Wauquiez 48 Ocean Alexander 2003 $429,000 40 Saga 409 48 Monk 1964 $149,000 38 Sabre 48 Saga 2003 $315,000 37 Valiant Espirit 46 Outbound 2018 $749,000 36 Catalina MkII 45 Freedom 1989 $159,000 35 Duffy 44 Elan 45.1 2021 €279,000 28 Cutwater 44 Gib’Sea 126 1986 $89,000 27 Ranger Tug 44 Catalina Morgan 2005 Inquire 23 Ranger Tug

Hylas 49 • 2000 • $475,000

2008$299,000 2003 $289,000 1989 $149,000 1991 $129,500 2006 $150,000 2014 $549,000 1980 $110,000 2001 $95,500 www.swiftsureyachts.com 1998 $185,000 206.378.1110 | info@swiftsureyachts.com 2013 $159,000 2540 Westlake Ave. N., Ste. A 2018 $169,000 Seattle, WA 98109 2017 $107,900

swif tsure loc ations

Seattle & Pacific Northwest San Francisco Bay Rhode Island

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and east coasts, Swiftsure Yachts is dedicated to providing premium service to sailors buying or selling quality yachts.

NEW YACHTS FOR WORLD CRUISING 48º NORTH

53

DECEMBER 2023

LIVE THE ADVENTURE

SEA BEYOND WASHINGTON • CALIFORNIA • FLORIDA • MARYL AND • CANADA • PHILIPPINES IN-STOCK

IN BUILD

2023 Hanse 460 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

2024 Hanse 458 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

IN BUILD

2024 Tartan 455 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

IN-STOCK

IN-STOCK

2023 Hanse 418 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

2023 Tartan 365 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

IN-STOCK

IN-STOCK

2023 Dehler 38SQ Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

SELL YOUR BOAT! LIST WITH US!

2022 Excess 11 Seattle Yachts 844.692. 2487

2007 Hylas 49 $525,000 Greg Farah 360.603.0809

Seattle Yachts

844.692.2487

844.692. 2487 SEAT TLEYACHTS.COM

48º NORTH

54

DECEMBER 2023

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2024 Beneteau Oceanis 37.1 oc

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2023 X Shore Eelex 8000

2024 Beneteau Oceanis 38.1

2023 Beneteau Oceanis 40.1

2024 Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

2022, 2024 Beneteau Oceanis 51.1

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47' Beneteau 473 '01 ................$199,800 46' Beneteau 46 '12 .................$232,500 40' Gozzard Pilgrim 40 '87 .........$169,900 44' Island Packet 440 '07 ...........$449,000

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38' Beneteau 381 '99 ................. $89,900 38' Globe 38 '83......................$119,500 37' Hunter Legend '89................ $59,900 30' Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 '20 ......Arriving

31' Ranger Tug R-31 S '13 ..........$219,000 25' Chris Craft Corsair 25 '07 ....... $68,500 39' Bayliner 3988 '95................. $99,900 47' Bayliner 4588 '86................$120,000

What's Happening • Boats are Selling FAST! Quality Listings Wanted!

Beneteau First 36 '24 .................. Arriving Sold Beneteau First 27 '23 .................. Arriving Sold Beneteau First 27 SE '23 ............ Arriving Sold Beneteau 34.1 '24....................... Arriving Sold Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 '23 ........ Arriving Sold

Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 '23 ........ Arriving Sold X Shore 1 '24 .............................. Arriving Sold Beneteau 10R '07 ..................................SOLD Hunter 29.5 '94 ......................................SOLD Catalina 30 MKII '88 ..............................SOLD

Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 '23 ...................SOLD Island Packet 485 '07................. Sale Pending Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 '19 ....... Sale Pending Gozzard 44 '01........................... Sale Pending Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 '23 ....... Sale Pending

Wauquiez Pilot Saloon '06 ......... Sale Pending Dufour 382 '16 ........................... Sale Pending Beneteau 34 '14 ......................... Sale Pending 36' Catalina 36 '84 ..............................$33,900

2476 Westlake Ave N. #101, Seattle, WA 98109 • (206) 284-9004 • Open Mon-Sat 10:00am-5:00pm • Sun. by appointment 48º NORTH

55 WWW.SIGNATURE-YACHTS.COM

DECEMBER 2023

MARINE SERVICENTER MARINE SERVICENTER Seattle San Diego Bellingham Seattle San Diego Bellingham Year-End Clearance Sale!

Year-End Clearance Sale!

206.323.2405 619.733.0559 360.770.0180 206.323.2405 619.733.0559 360.770.0180 info@marinesc.com • www.marinesc.com info@marinesc.com • www.marinesc.com

Dealer of the Year Dealer of• ‘20 the• ‘19 Year ‘23 • ‘22 • ‘21 • ‘16 ‘23 • ‘22 • ‘21 • ‘20 • ‘19 • ‘16

Year-End Clearance Sale!

Year-End Clearance Sale!

2023 Jeanneau 380 2C/1H #77291: $329,795 • SAVE $61,475 2023 Jeanneau 380 2C/1H #77291: $329,795 • SAVE $61,475

2023 Jeanneau 410 #77420: $429,875 • SAVE $41,815 2023 Jeanneau 410 #77420: $429,875 • SAVE $41,815

2024 Jeanneau 440 #77930: $549,684 • SAVE $36,709 2024 Jeanneau 440 #77930: $549,684 • SAVE $36,709

2023 Jeanneau 490 #77424: $654,896 • SAVE $44,839 2023 Jeanneau 490 #77424: $654,896 • SAVE $44,839

2024 Jeanneau 349 Ltd Ed #77925: $259,990 • SAVE $20,015 2024 Jeanneau 349 Ltd Ed #77925: $259,990 • SAVE $20,015 Arrives March Arrives Dec ‘24!

2024 Lagoon 42 #835: $764,885 • SAVE $96,051 2024 Lagoon 42 #835: $764,885 • SAVE $96,051 Arrives July!

Arrives July!

Just Arrived!

Just Arrived!

Just Arrived!

Just Arrived!

Arrives March

2018 Jeanneau Yacht 51 • $549,500 2018 Jeanneau Yacht 51 • $549,500

Reduced Reduced

2022 Jeanneau 410 • $399,900 2022 Jeanneau 410 • $399,900

1996 X-Yacht IMX-38 • $55,000 1996 X-Yacht IMX-38 • $55,000

Just Arrived!

Just Arrived!

Arrives Dec ‘24!

2024 Jeanneau Yacht 60 #36 • $1,698,468 Scow Bow HullYacht & Walk Decks!

2024 Jeanneau 60Around #36 • $1,698,468 Scow Bow Hull & Walk Around Decks!

Reduced Reduced

Year-End Clearance Sale!

Year-End Clearance Sale!

New Listing New Listing

2024 Jeanneau Yacht 55 #78845: $1,369,380 Forward HardtopYacht Cockpit & Aft Lounge Areas 2024 Jeanneau 55 #78845: $1,369,380 Forward Hardtop Cockpit & Aft Lounge Areas

2021 Jeanneau 490 Perf. • $609,500 2021 Jeanneau 490 Perf. • $609,500

New Listing New Listing

2014 Jeanneau 409 • $214,500 2014 Jeanneau 409 • $214,500

New Listing New Listing

1986 Nauticat 33 • $74,900 1986 Nauticat 33 • $74,900

New Listing New Listing

2025 Catalina 425 • $Inquire Modern, 2025 teak interior, Catalinasingle 425 •rudder, $Inquirelead keel Modern, teak interior, single rudder, lead keel

2020 Jeanneau 410 • $359,500 2020 Jeanneau 410 • $359,500

Reduced Reduced

1999 Jeanneau 40 DS • $129,500 1999 Jeanneau 40 DS • $129,500

New Listing New Listing

1988 Bristol Channel Cut. 28 • $97,000 1988 Bristol Channel Cut. 28 • $97,000

LISTINGS WANTED! • WE GET RESULTS! See YourWANTED! Boat in full•color 48°RESULTS! North!

LISTINGS WE inGET 62' Lagoon 620 ‘20 ...................... $1,199,500 See Your Boat in full color in 48° North!

47' ...........................SOLD 62' Jeanneau Lagoon 620469 ‘20‘15 ...................... $1,199,500 44' & ‘13 ............ 2 SOLD 47' Jeanneau Jeanneau 44 469DS‘15‘12 ...........................SOLD 44' Annapolis 44 ‘78 .........................$59,500 44' Jeanneau 44 DS ‘12 & ‘13 ............ 2 SOLD 38' 38244‘79 44' Morgan Annapolis ‘78...........................$35,500 .........................$59,500 38' Morgan C&C MKIII Listing.... $43,950 38' 382‘86 ‘79.......New ...........................$35,500 36' Catalina 36 ‘94 ...........................$50,000 38' C&C MKIII ‘86.......New Listing.... $43,950 32' ‘00...........................$50,000 ............................SOLD 36' Catalina Catalina 320 36 ‘94 25' 25 320 ‘14 ...............................$49,500 32' Habor Catalina ‘00 ............................SOLD 23' Tofinou ‘94...............................$49,500 ..............................$37,000 25' Habor 2523‘14 22' Tofinou Marshall23Catboat ‘22 ..................... $89,900 23' ‘94 ..............................$37,000 22' Marshall Catboat ‘22 ..................... $89,900

Dan Krier Dan Krier

Doug Lombard Doug Lombard

John Sheppard Jeff Carson John Sheppard Jeff Carson

Don Smith Don Smith

Curt Bagley Curt Bagley