December 2022 48° North Digital

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Background photo courtesy of Jan Anderson.

I am frequently asked, “What is cool or noteworthy in the world of sailing? What’s the next big thing?” and variations on that theme. The answer is usually murky — foiling technology for America’s Cup boats and many other designs is always good for inspiring wide-eyed awe from the uninitiated. Or perhaps the better response is amazing grassroots sailing stuff like the significant increase in high school sailing participation in our region or the rapidly growing group of young women who own boats around the Pacific Northwest. No doubt, it’s all incredibly cool.

Recently, my go-to answer has been about doublehanded racing. While Sloop Tavern’s Race to the Straits in May has remained immensely popular for a few decades and gets lots of folks out racing shorthanded for the first time, offerings and excitement for this niche of sailing have boomed in the last few years.

The 2018 announcement of a (presently paused) plan for an Olympic class for mixed offshore doubles certainly sparked some new interest. And no doubt, the pandemic played a role — shorthanded sailing seemed like one of the few things we could do for a while, and most of 2020’s races were contested by smaller-than-average crews.

Yet, I think shorthanded racing’s enduring appeal is much more far-reaching, and with good reason. In my interview with a pair of doublehanded racing couples who sailed in the Pac Cup this year (page 36), they said simplifying the logistics of going racing is a major initial motivator. It can be difficult to organize a crew, and aligning intentions and commitments across a group of people with varying responsibilities and interests can be a challenge. Finding just one other person you jive with on the water, and who shares similar goals, is a more manageable ask. To me, doublehanding feels more fun and more accessible than singlehanding, but the same principles apply.

Opportunities for inspiration know no bounds and shorthanded racing also continues to grow elsewhere in the world. More boats are being designed and built specifically with shorthanded racing in mind. One pair of my interviewees now coown such a boat, the Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 Red Ruby, and have been competing against large fleets of other doublehanded teams in Europe — and doing incredibly well. (Teaser: 48° North will be bringing you more from the Red Ruby crew in 2023). The other newer-to-racing pair of interviewees completed their first Hawaii race on a different purpose-built design, the J/99 Dash

Another factor contributing to shorthanded racing’s popularity is the occasion to develop a very broad range of skills — this pursuit offers an unmatched combination of breadth and depth of knowledge and skill, all while cultivating a genuine confidence in your own self-sufficiency. For those whose interests in sailing include both cruising and racing, the skills are eminently transferable. If you’ve already cruised shorthanded, those skills will come in handy while racing shorthanded; or if you plan to cruise one day, shorthanded racing will give you vastly more applicable knowledge than if you have a highly specialized role on a larger crew.

As ever, there’s no one best way to go boating — the range of interests is so wide, and there is room on the water for all of us. However, I count myself among the group finding excitement and inspiration in the world of shorthanded racing. It seems doable, rewarding, and super fun. Personally, I’ll be looking for ways to join the movement in the PNW.

Joe Cline, Managing Editor, 48° North

Volume XLII, Number 5, December 2022

(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.

News from the Northwest Maritime Center >>

As most readers know, 48° North has been published by the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) since 2018. We are continually amazed by the inspiring and important work of our colleagues and organization, and are excited to dedicate this page to sharing a bit about it with you. This page affirms that 48° North is part of something bigger, and that we think the missionminded efforts of our organization matter to our readers, and are good for this community and publication.

NWMC HOSTS TWSBA CONFERENCE

The Northwest Maritime Center hosted the biannual Teaching With Small Boats Alliance (TWSBA) Conference in November.

TWSBA is a peer support organization of maritime educators who, as the name implies, teach with small boats. NWMC Executive Director, Jake Beattie said, “I’m particularly proud of NWMC’s efforts to bring truly diverse participation, and highlight the lessons and accomplishments from all corners of the country, and other parts of the world.” There were attendees from as far as Argentina and Germany, and a group Zoomed in from Kenya.

Topics covered by 100-plus presenters in seminars and group sessions hit all levels of interest — from the educators themselves (how to teach math in the shop, steam bending, etc.) to organizational leadership (insurance, fundraising, etc.). One particularly exciting conversation included a first-of-itskind gathering of three maritime high schools from across the country, where representatives discussed lessons learned and how to start one.

» www.teachingwithsmallboats.org/

EVENTS CALENDAR » www.nwmaritime.org/events

DECK THE HULLS WITH BOATSHOP OFFCUTS

Dec. 10-11

Northwest Maritime Center

R2AK TAILGATE PARTY Feb. 4 901 Occidental Ave S, Seattle

APPLICATION WINDOW NOW OPEN FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2023-2024 AT SEATTLE'S MARITIME HIGH SCHOOL!

Seattle's first Maritime High School, part of Highline Public Schools, is now taking applications or incoming classes of 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students. The application window closes on January 31, 2023.

Maritime High School is open to any student who is interested in Maritime Studies, whether they live in Highline Public School boundaries or not (51% of seats are reserved for students living within the district boundaries, however). The school provides Orca cards to students who need transportation to school.

Current students are effusive in their appreciation for this unique and hands-on learning environment. Their projects are centered on community, and they're doing everything from spending time on the water to learning the native language Lushootseed. Students have chosen to attend MHS for reasons ranging from a love of marine biology to a search for something different in education. Learn more and apply online:

» https://maritime.highlineschools.org/admissions

ADVANCED FIRST AID AND CPR/AED FOR THE MARINER Feb. 11-12

Northwest Maritime Center

ADVANCED FIRST AID AND CPR/AED FOR MARINERS

NWMC is partnering with Backcountry Medical Guides to offer advanced medical training relevant to all mariners, including those thinking about Seventy48 or Race to Alaska next year.

Course Description: Combining a highly experiential (16 hour) in-person training with a (4-6 hour) selfpaced Maritime Medicine Online course, this program provides all the skills, practice, and knowledge needed to handle a range of medical and traumatic emergencies at sea. This class is US Sailing accredited, meets World Sailing Offshore Special Regulation (OSR 6.05) Medical Training requirements, US Sailing Senior First Aid Requirements, is valid for US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner credentials, and can be used to re-certify a Wilderness First Responder certificate within its grace period.

ADVANCED FIRST AID AND CPR/AED FOR THE MARINER Mar. 11-12

Northwest Maritime Center

There will be two course offerings for this training, which takes place at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. Space is limited, please register early.

OPTION 1

February 11–12, 2023

8 AM–3:30 PM

OPTION 2 March 11–12, 2023

8 AM–3:30 PM

» nwmaritime.org/program-calendar/

Trivia Clarification from November Issue

Dear Editor,

As a born and bred New Yorker I kindly take exception to the statement “Coney Island in New York isn’t actually an island, but a peninsula. The same is true of Long Island.” (November 2022, Page 17, Trivia, “Did You Know”.)

Although the author’s statement is legally correct, he is geographically and navigationally in error. Long Island, according to an assessment by the website Mental Floss (and supported by an Associated Press article from the time) “is surrounded on all sides by water, yet for legal purposes, it isn’t an island. In 1985, all nine justices on the Supreme Court agreed.” The Associated Press article reveals why. With Long Island as a part of the New York mainland, the adjacent sound is considered "...an internal state waterway and Rhode Island and New York may continue to require ships using the sound to have state-licensed pilots.”

Sincerely, Paul Fadoul Seattle, WA

Niemanns’ Irene Before Their Epic Trip Around Hi Andy,

I came across this photo of Peter and Ginger’s Irene, precircumnavigation. This photo was taken on June 6, 2017 in Hidden Cove, Bainbridge Island. I was one day out on my own summer sailing trip. It didn’t mean anything. It was just a salty boat. Little did I know.

Joshua Wheeler Port Townsend, WA www.sailingwithjosh.com

Response to Karl Krüger’s Arctic SUP Article

From Lizabeth Rose: Thank you for sharing your amazing experiences Karl. I look forward to your future ones.

From Linda Perth: An amazing trip! Awesome!

Regarding “Mischief Beyond Nakwakto” — More Maps Please

Dear Joe,

Some constructive criticism, if I may. I love your magazine and the articles. One thing that could significantly enhance the readers’ appreciation and understanding of these articles is if you include a map of the area and the voyage being discussed. This November edition has a couple going way north up into British Columbia. A map would give the reader a much better understanding of what they’re doing and the places they’re describing if it were included. Food for thought.

Thanks, Lyn Sorenson

I picked up the October 48° North while spending two months in Canal Boatyard. I’m a houseboater and not much of a sailor, but enjoy the read.

I was very pleased with the advertisement on page 37 of your October issue regarding event use at the Maritime Center. Having a “spectacular day” can sometimes be a challenge for LGBTQ folks like me. Some people don’t want to bake our cakes or rent their venues when we have a very special day. Your ad made me both proud and very happy with the Maritime Center.

Thank You! Bravo!

John Chaney & Bruce Bigley Fall City, WA and Houseboat Hadrian, Seattle

low tides » News & Events

LIGHTED BOAT PARADES RETURN TO THE WATERS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Time to get in the spirit and make your rigging twinkle! Time to untie and join one or more of the joyous lighted boat parades around the Pacific Northwest. Here are just a few of your chances to get out on the water for some festive holiday fun.

SEATTLE CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE SETS SAIL DEC. 17

It's the time of year to bust out your boat's Christmas lights and decorations, gather your crew, and get ready to ring in the holidays. As in past years, the Lake Union parade route is sailboat friendly with no bridges to lift. Start time is at 7:00 p.m., December 17 and registered vessels should be checked in and lined up by 6:30 p.m. See you on the water for some yuletide cheer!

There will be a toy drive to benefit Seattle Childrens again in 2022, and all registered boats are encouraged to participate!

» www.seattlechristmasboatparade.com

BELLINGHAM

HOLIDAY MAGIC LIGHTED BOAT PARADE DEC. 3

Holiday Magic is the theme for the Bellingham Yacht Club boat parade on December 3, 2022. All vessels are invited to participate and crews of those registered are eligible for awards at the after-party.

Boats depart the yacht club at 5:30 p.m. and rendezvous for the 6 p.m. parade start at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. Boats parade in front of Boulevard Park, the judge’s boat to starboard, and Zuanich Park, weather permitting. Communications with the lead boat is via VHF channel 72.

» www.byc.org

SAILING HALL OF FAME INDUCTS 2022 CLASS, INCLUDING JONATHAN McKEE

On Saturday November 5, the National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) inducted 13 sailors into the 2022 class, including Seattle’s Jonathan McKee.

“This year’s inductees exemplify innovation, virtuous competition and are exceptional sources of inspiration for the young and old in the sport of sailing,” said Gus Carlson, president of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. “We are proud to honor their accomplishments and welcome them into the Hall of Fame.”

The 2022 class included: Jonathan McKee, Ed Adams, Absalom Boston, Doris Colgate, Bruce Farr, Garry Hoyt, Bill Lee, Lin and Larry Pardey, and Nick Scandone. The Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were Roy Disney, Terry Kohler, and Frances Wakeman. The members of the Class of 2022 join 101 current National Sailing Hall of Famers.

» nshof.org/ hall-of-fame/

ARGOSY CHRISTMAS SHIPS FESTIVAL BEGINS NOV. 25, LAKE UNION PARADE OF BOATS WILL TAKE PLACE DEC. 9

The popular Argosy Christmas Ships Festival returns to various locations around the Seattle Metro. The schedule includes 40 sailings — all of which provide music, holiday cheer, and a fun excursion on the water.

The seventh annual Parade of Boats on Lake Union, one of the Festival's biggest nights, is scheduled for 8 p.m. on December 9. Bring your own decorated boat to join the fun.

» www.argosycruises.com/ christmas-ship-festival-schedule/

SEATTLE BOAT SHOW COMING TO LUMEN FIELD AND BELL HARBOR FEBRUARY 2023

“The Boat Show, the Boat Show, the Big Seattle Boat Show!” is set to run from Friday, February 3 through Saturday, February 11, 2023. Start dreaming and get your shopping lists ready! The Seattle Boat Show — presented by Union Marine and the Port of Seattle — is ready to make a splash, cruising into town this February. It’s the largest show on the West Coast with two locations — indoors at Lumen Field Event Center and on the water at the Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina.

Tickets go on sale December 1:

$20 Adult Ticket

$40 Multiday Ticket, good for all 9-days of the show $99 Seminar Ticket (includes multiday ticket) Free Kids 17 & Under

The seminar ticket comes with a boatload of goodies: Access to all Boat Show U webinars (online and in person) Waggoner 2023 Cruising Guide ($45 value) Multi-day ticket ($40 value)

low tides » Eight Bells

REMEMBERING BRAD BAKER

REFLECTING ON A BELOVED PACIFIC NORTHWEST SAILOR, FRIEND, MENTOR, AND CO-FOUNDER OF SWIFTSURE YACHTS. BRAD BAKER WILL BE MISSED BY MANY WHO HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING AND SAILING WITH HIM.

Brad Baker (1964-2022) passed away peacefully on Friday, September 30. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer nearly four years ago. Fittingly, his last sail was just two days prior to his passing.

The crew at 48° North would like to extend our sincere condolences to Brad's friends and family, and the family he helped cultivate at Swiftsure Yachts. Brad is survived by his wife P.J., and sons Bryce and Austin, and leaves behind an enduring legacy.

Brad was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, got his start in sailing as a sea scout, raced in numerous fleets, worked as a sailmaker and eventually as a yacht broker. His experiences in sailing and the business of sailing were wide ranging. Brad was an accomplished navigator, winning five Navigator Awards while racing successfully in the Vic-Maui race. Along with racing, he also cruised frequently around the Salish Sea and embarked on a memorable 12,000-mile voyage with his family aboard their custom Perry-designed 48-foot ketch, Capaz, from Seattle to Mexico, the South Pacific, Hawaii, and back. Above all else, though, Brad will be remembered as a friend and mentor to many sailors throughout the area.

Of Brad, Swiftsure partner Ryan Helling said it well:

“I am very fortunate to have been able to call Brad Baker a friend, shipmate, mentor, and business partner. Over nearly 20 years, Brad and I spent a lot of time on the water together — two races to Hawaii, countless local races, deliveries all over the Pacific Northwest. Brad was a master team builder and navigator and never stopped in his pursuit of keeping the boat moving faster. I was also fortunate to sail with Brad many times after his cancer diagnosis. And though he was often unable to quickly articulate what he was thinking under normal circumstances, he was sharp as a tack in terms of tactics and sail trim. This was second nature to him. Truly, Brad was one of the best. Exceedingly competent, hilarious and fun to be around, and a great competitor but a friend to all.”

To those who have sailed or raced with him, bought or sold a boat through him, or even just been a casual acquaintance, Brad will be deeply missed throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Sail on, Brad.

low tides » In The Biz

NMTA HIRES WYATT ASBURY AS MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

The Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Wyatt Asbury as Membership Coordinator.

No stranger to recreational boating or the marine industry, Asbury graduated from Eckerd College in Florida where, as a sophomore, he started a fishing club. He also worked on the floor at a West Marine in Tampa/St.Pete. More recently, he was the assistant director at Beach Camp at Sunset Bay in Edmonds, Wash. Asbury brings Seattle Boat Show experience as an exhibitor working in the Beach Camp booth and working for NMTA in the Show office.

He will be focused on making sure NMTA members know about and are using all member benefits such as committee meetings, health insurance, sales data, member events, and boat shows.

» www.nmta.net

SEATTLE YACHTS NAMED 2022 HANSE

DEALER OF THE YEAR

Seattle Yachts has been named the Hanse Yachts 2022 Dealer Of The Year for the Americas. This is the second time in a row that the Seattle Yachts team has earned the top dealer award.

"We are more than thrilled to announce that Seattle Yachts has again won the title Dealer of the Year," said Hanjo Runde, CEO of the Hanse Group. "This is something that (the Seattle Yachts team) can be extremely proud of."

"This is a great team effort," said Kenyon Martin, Hanse Brand Manager for Seattle Yachts. "We want to thank our customers and all of those that had a hand in selling and servicing the Hanse brand."

The Hanse Yacht Group also consists of brands Moody Yachts and Dehler Yachts. Seattle Yachts became a Hanse dealer in 2019 and represents the brand along the West Coast of the United States.

» www.seattleyachts.com

ULLMAN SAILS

WELCOMES

PNW

LOFT

MANAGER, KELLY SEARS

Kelly Sears joined Ullman Sails' growing team as Pacific Northwest Loft Manager. Kelly comes with an extensive background in sailmaking, spending 16 years in super yacht sail construction and two years in sail service.

Kelly also was a sailmaker on the 2015 Americas Cup defense in San Francisco for team Oracle.

Kelly has had a goal of making it to the West Coast for many years, starting in Florida. With the expansion of Ullman Sails Pacific Northwest, Kelly is a great fit and has hit the ground running.

For any sail service or new sails, contact Kelly at pnw@ullmansails.com and ask about the free pick up and delivery of sails for service.

» pnw.ullmansails.com

Business or Pleasure, AquaDrive will make your boat smoother, quieter and vibration free.

The AquaDrive system solves a problem nearly a century old; the fact that marine engines are installed on soft engine mounts and attached almost rigidly to the propeller shaft.

The very logic of AquaDrive is inescapable. An engine that is vibrating

on soft mounts needs total freedom of movement from its propshaft if noise and vibration are not to be transmitted to the hull. The AquaDrive provides just this freedom of movement. Tests proved that the AquaDrive with its softer engine mountings can reduce vibration by 95% and structure borne noise by 50% or more. For information, call Drivelines NW today.

low tides » Products News

» MANTUS SOLAR NAVIGATION LIGHT

Mantus Marine continues to innovate with their newest product release — a navigation light that can be charged by solar or USB. This deck or pole mounted tricolor light is optimal for small vessels with accessories for attachment on the bow of the boat or the engine cowling. The light has US Coast Guard approval for two nautical miles, a water resistant IPX8 rating, and is easy to illuminate with the push of a button. One of its most unique features is that it has five modes of operation: 360° tri-color light, 225° bi-color, 112.5° red sidelight, 112.5° green sidelight, and a 135° white stern light.

Price: $107.00 » www.mantusmarine.com

» ROOSTER AQUAFLEECE® ROBE

Perfect for the winter watersports ahead, the Rooster Aquafleece Robe is an oversized, warm, and versatile jacket with a removable quick-drying teddy fleece lining. Ideal for warming up after a variety of on-the-water activities including SUPing, dinghy sailing, or kiteboarding, the robe’s removable lining is easy to take out for cleaning and/or drying. Rooster’s iconic fabric outer shell is waterproof, windproof, and durable, yet the inside teddy lining is soft and fluffy. Made from recycled polyester, the robe also features a large hood, soft zipper cover at the neck, fleece-lined hand pockets, internal Velcro, and adjustable Velcro cuffs at the sleeves.

Price: $195.00 » www.roosterusa.com

» OCEAN SIGNAL rescueME PLB3

Ocean Signal is upping the game in maritime safety and is fresh off a “Overall DAME Design Award 2022” win for its rescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). With the introduction of Automatic Identification System (AIS) functionality, Return Link Service (RLS) technology, and Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities in one 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), the rescueME PLB3 represents a significant step forward in the evolution of PLBs. The merging of 406 MHz and AIS distress messaging effectively pairs both global and local rescue, thereby maximizing access to the most effective rescue resources available. In addition, NFC capability provides users with the world’s first smartphone connected PLB and the all-new RLS feature which provides the comfort of knowing that a distress message has been received and their location detected by worldwide search and rescue personnel.

Price: N/A » www.oceansignal.com

CROSSWORD AND TRIVIA

DID YOU KNOW?

by Bryan Henry

The Pacific Ocean represents 46 percent of the world’s oceans and the United States could fit into it 17 times. Put another way, it’s four times larger than the surface area of the moon.

The Pacific contains more water than the other four oceans combined.

The highest submarine mountain, known as a seamount, was discovered in 1953 near the Tonga Trench, between Samoa and New Zealand. It is 28,500 feet high, with its summit lying 1,200 feet below the surface.

The area of the Pacific is more than three times that of the largest continent, Asia.

A 190-mile-wide submarine river, known as the Cromwell Current, was discovered in 1952 flowing eastward below the surface of the Pacific for 4,000 miles along the equator, and its volume is 1,000 times greater than the Mississippi River.

The Pacific is home to the largest number of atolls and islands and the largest expanse of coral reefs. More than 75 percent of all tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean.

Of the ten deepest spots in the oceans, eight of them are located in the Pacific Ocean.

Mauna Kea in Hawaii is both the world’s tallest mountain and tallest volcano, with 19,000 feet of it lying under the Pacific and 13,803 feet above sea level.

If you dropped a rock into the ocean over its deepest spot, it would take more than an hour to reach bottom.

The most remote place on Earth is Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean, named for the submariner in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea . It’s closer to the International Space Station than to any point of land.

DOABLE DIY 18

MAKING A SIMPLE & BULLETPROOF COCKPIT DODGER

Have you ever noticed an old and badly neglected sailboat at the marina or boat yard or that grabs you and pulls you in? One that calls to you beyond just the fiberglass and weathered teak, making you feel some salty combination of pity and lust, and begging you to give her a new life?

Well, I am that weak guy who just can’t walk away. After more than a dozen sailboats, the desire to restore these works of art has become even stronger. Just as I’ve finished up the restoration of one, I’ll stumble onto another one that looks to me for help. You’re reading 48° North, so maybe I’m preaching to the choir. My friends and family have told me I’m crazy, but I know friends that restore old cars and nobody considers them crazy. Maybe I am crazy and it has nothing to do with sailboats.

On many of my restorations, I’ll finish off by making a cockpit dodger for the boat. In the past, I’ve installed a halfdozen canvas dodgers with prefabricated frame and skin kits. Those kits are a good product, but they’ve gotten so expensive over the last several years that I’ve had to rethink the whole process of making dodgers. With limited funds and even more limited intelligence, I realized that a different type of dodger could be used — something simple, strong, attractive, and inexpensive. And something that was bulletproof (figuratively, and potentially literally) could also be handy. That’s where the idea of Lexan or polycarbonate came to mind (Lexan is a brand of polycarbonate). By making my own frame and using Lexan sheets, my experimental dodger project was launched.

The frame was relatively simple. I just decided where I wanted the frame ends to be mounted and measured the distance between them. I bought three 8-foot aluminum tubes from Home Depot and took them down to my buddy Earl, the sole proprietor of Earl’s Muffler Shop and Gun Repair. For a case of beer, he went ahead and bent the pipes in an even arc so that the ends were at the same measured distance I had decided on ahead of time.

Aluminum tubing for the frame can be used instead of stainless steel due to the support from the shape of the dodger. One inch aluminum frames are more than adequate in strength and much less expensive than stainless. In fact, the overall strength of this type of dodger with aluminum is much greater than a traditional canvas dodger with a stainless frame.

The fittings for the frame came from a combination of online retailers, both marine-specific and not — from Fisheries Supply to Amazon. The remaining aluminum tube was cut using a smalltooth hacksaw and used for the frame bracing. Similarly, I cut down frame arcs and bracing to the proper lengths to create a dodger shape that would blend well with the contours of the boat. The most important rule here is to work slowly and cut small amounts at a time for the final fit. Through trial and error I’ve discovered that, once cut, aluminum pipes are difficult to glue back together again.

As ever, when fastening or bedding anything to your boat’s deck and house, take pains to negate water ingress. Techniques for this would require a separate article, but suffice it to say, a quality, dry seal is important, even under

by Mike Swesey

the protection of a dodger.

With the frame completed and secured, I needed to make a pattern for the Lexan sheeting that would go over it. I just used some Visqueen sheeting that I temporarily taped tightly over the frame and marked with a Sharpie pen. Remember to mark the

DODGER DETAILS

Here’s a run down of what I paid for my most recent dodger:

• 3- 8’ X 1” Aluminum tubes/pipes, $46 (Home Depot)

• 6 - Jaw Flanges, $62

• 6 - Bases, $37

• 12 - Eye Ends, $32

• 1/8 “ Lexan Polycarbonate Sheeting, $144 (Home Depot)

• 2 - ⅜” Shroud Cable Cover, $5 (Fisheries Supply)

• 2 – Stainless grab handles, $45

• Aluminum Rivets, $4

• Paint, $20

• Case of beer, $21

• Total: $416

The project may at first seem overwhelming but believe me if I can do it, I know you can and probably better. The secret is to take it slow and make it fun. Remember my work-ethic rules:

• Never be afraid to make mistakes.

• Never admit to making mistakes.

• Work alone so no one sees you make mistakes.

• The best craftsmen are the best at hiding their mistakes.

• When someone spots one of your mistakes, always say to them, “That’s how I wanted it to look.”

pattern about an inch beyond the frame for the top portion sheet of the dodger for later attaching a cosmetic edging with a cut white cable cover (more on this later).

The Lexan can be easily cut with a fine-tooth jigsaw. Polycarbonate is great stuff and nearly impossible to break, and so much easier to use than acrylic or Plexiglass sheets, which can shatter.

Now that the patterns are cut for the top and the front of the dodger you can attach them to the frame using aluminum rivets. The metal of the rivets must match the aluminum metal it attaches to. Simply start from the center of the arcs and slowly drill and rivet every six inches or so while bending down the Lexan and working towards the ends on each side. Some folks like to have sides on their dodgers and this is easy to do. To make this work, take a larger scrap of the Lexan, hold it up the the side you want to cover and, with your Sharpie, draw the shape of the side piece; then cut it and rivet this onto the aluminum frame.

Now for the dodger color and windows. Lexan sheets normally have a plastic protective film covering on both sides to reduce scratching during shipment. Take advantage of this and don’t peel it off right away. Draw out on this film where you want the windows to go. Take a sharp knife or box cutter and, using a straight edge, carefully and superficially cut through just this film along your marked window edges both on the outside and inside surfaces. Carefully remove all the film surrounding the windows. Let me repeat: make sure that you leave the protective film on the areas that cover the windows.

Once the peripheral areas of film are removed, you can reinforce this window

edge with painter’s masking tape before gently roughing up this exposed surface a little with a fine grain sandpaper before one final cleaning. Paint this peripheral area leaving the film on for the windows. For painting my dodgers, I use leftover matching two-part polyurethane called “Perfection” from Interlux that I had lying around after some trim work. If you want to have the dodger look old-school, you could actually permanently glue a sheet of Sunbrella over the Lexan sheet to make it look like a canvas dodger. I haven’t tried this yet, but might on my next boat.

When the paint is dry, remove the film over the outside and inside window areas. A little trick I’ve learned is to run a ¼ inch pinstripe along the margins of the windows. It really cleans up the look to a more professional level. To finish the edges for the top portion of the dodger you can also take a white cable cover and slide and glue it over the edges of the top sheet where you previously cut an extra inch. Additionally, if you like, you can add stainless grab handles to the sides of the dodger, which also gives it even more strength.

I’ve now made dodgers in this style for a little Halman Nordic 20 and a Catalina 25. I can honestly say that these have been enjoyable learning experiences for me; and I’m confident that this is a costeffective and handsome alternative to traditional cloth dodgers, and a project that can be completed by nearly all sailors.

Mike Swesey is a long-time sailor and author who calls Newport, Oregon his home base. He is old and grumpy most of the time, and is unapologetically addicted to the roll of the sea.

Nearly every hobby or endeavor has its unofficial fraternity or sorority membership, and sailing is no different. Woodworkers get together to share techniques and tools; Mopar car owners gather at yearly conventions; the Scots don their kilts and pipes and throw boulders or telephone poles.

In comparison, sailors have it easy. Whenever two boats are on open water, it becomes a race; and whenever they find themselves back at the dock, it turns to happy hour, possibly with folks who may have just met.

For my wife Laura and I, that camaraderie happens every time that we take Ariel out for a spin on Commencement Bay. As new owners of an older boat, we find ourselves waving to any and every boat within sight of our burgee, whether or not they belong to the same club as we do, or whether they are powered by canvas or combustion. Our universal gesture of friendship acknowledges an affinity among those who have chosen to spend time on the water, either reveling in the journey or excitedly awaiting arrival at their destination.

This fraternity is never more apparent than in the behavior

and kindness of our dock mates, to the port and starboard of our marina slip. Besides lending a hand and advice in the middle of a repair, our neighbors are part of our sailing community, though each one participates in a slightly different manner, despite experiencing the water on nearly the same vessel make and model, a Cal 30 and 31.

By pure coincidence our 1973 Columbia 28 is sandwiched between these two smart-looking sloops, although I’d be hard pressed to tell which is the 30 and which is the 31. The owners of those boats, Tom and Fred, are as proud as any boat owners you could ever find, with probably over 100 years of sailing experience between them. Every time we sail with them, we learn just a little bit more, and their stories are as free flowing as their hospitality.

But, like woodworkers, car owners, and Highland games attendees, each sailor puts his own personal signature on their boat in a unique way, demonstrating the difference between the journey and the destination.

It may be that Fred sails his green-trimmed Cal, named

by David Casey Tom gives a hearty

Happy hour with friends and dock mates upon arrival at Wallochet Bay.

Nemesis, more often than anyone else in Puget Sound. OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but he logged over 90 separate sailing days last year alone, a feat which is even more impressive considering the higher than normal number of rainy days in the South Sound this past winter-spring. He calls Nemesis his “belle of the ball, the prettiest girl at the dance.” And he takes her for a spin at the drop of a hat, or the flutter of a flag.

Fred almost always sails singlehanded and I’ve never seen anyone leave the dock more efficiently than he. The diesel turns over, the shore power is disconnected, and the dock lines are released in about the same time that it takes Laura and I to unclip our mainsail cover. In the blink of an eye, Nemesis is out of her slip and gently motoring towards open water, with her skipper comfortably ensconced on a side seat of the cockpit, tiller extension in hand. For Fred, the journey is the reward. A great afternoon is tacking back and forth on the waters just outside of his marina.

Fred took Laura and I for a spin under the Narrows bridge up through Wollochet Bay in late May on a day which, like so many this past year, seemed to squeeze all four seasons between sun up and sun down. We began with barely enough breeze to overcome the tide, then witnessed a gale that found the rail nearly in the water, and finally ended up on a comfortable beam reach, sheltering under the dodger with intermittent rain showering on the bay amidst sun rays and puffy clouds.

Tom was not far behind us, shepherding the fleet of perhaps 10 boats. He is truly the guardian and sentinel of the club, always concerned for the safety and enjoyment of other boaters and sailors. He is the main reason that Laura and I have begun our cruising adventures. On two separate occasions he has accompanied us through new waters, helping us navigate the turbulent caldron that is more commonly known as the Tacoma Narrows, and guiding us through long bays to unseen marinas.

Tom basks in the thought of three-day cruises at different ports of call, sharing stories and meals with fellow boaters. An avid camper in his 1978 Volkswagen Vanagon, Tom and his wife Renee make cruising feel like a night at the Ritz, with gourmet meals and comfortable cabin amenities.

As Laura and I spend more and more time on Ariel, we muse about our answer to the journey versus the destination question. And while nothing is absolute on the water or land,

we refine our answer through the observations of our mentors.

It’s safe to say that no sailor defines him or herself in one way. Avid racers will muse about the thrill of a short course or the beauty and surroundings that they witness during a multi-day race, with a finish line destination at the end of their competition.

Likewise, I have learned the same about Tom. It’s not that he is only about the destination. He loves his time on the water and his enjoyment of the journey may lie in its simplicity — set a course, trim the sails, and sit back and relax amid the beauty of the vistas and company of friends and family. Once he arrives, the destination only enhances the pleasure of the journey.

On this summer’s Salish 100 small boat cruise, Laura and I had the pleasure of lending an on-shore hand to Tom and Renee, as they in turn offered support to the fleet of nearly 70 boats on their journey from Olympia to Port Townsend. After replenishing some of their supplies, we shared a bar-b-que meal with them and the skippers and first mates of the fleet, hearing mostly tales of homemade vessels and contraptions to make the journey as pleasant as the destination.

Laura and I are slowly becoming a part of the fraternity of sailors, in more than just name. We participate in club cruises, take Ariel out on evening sails to nearby docks and marinas for happy hours, and have even lent a hand to fellow sailors on a repair or a docking. We now have stories of our own to swap with other sailors and personal techniques that we have developed to make Ariel just a little bit easier to handle. But we couldn’t have done it alone.

I wonder where Laura and I would be without the help of our supportive dockmates. At one time, we felt that our struggles may have been so great as to give up on sailing entirely. But as we learn to sail Ariel, our time on the water has been improved by the support of our friends and sailing community. We are always ready and excited to receive any help or advice that they toss our way, whether it be in the form of a dock line or merely a kind word.

David Casey is a retired math teacher and semi-professional woodworker and bass player. He plans on using his retirement to build a small sailboat and a kayak, and to explore the waters of southern Puget Sound.

Fred, happily aboard Cal 30, Nemesis Tom, at the helm of his Cal 31 with his trusty canine crew.

WINTER DOWNWIND PADDLING IN THE PNW

Downwinding has introduced me to a community in the Northwest that weaves people of the water together through surfing, stand up paddling, kayaking, surfski, rowing, and outrigger canoeing (insert foil anywhere). Along the way, I have met more than a few individuals who have lit me up and have helped open these spaces and the sport of downwinding — which has come to occupy my mind, body, and soul. As I share my own experiences with this amazing activity, I will also let some of their stories reveal what downwinding is all about.

Staring out my window on Budd Inlet, I can’t help but recall the fully immersive experience of downwind paddling. Budd Inlet has a great enough fetch, roughly 10 miles, and has the desired geography to create suitable conditions for the sport, but it is one of many locations in the Pacific Northwest where downwind paddling has found popularity. Once you’ve had a taste of downwind paddling, you begin to crave its wild abandon, finding comfort outside of your comfort zone, unrestrained in the thick of natural forces.

Downwind paddling is the activity of paddling in one direction with the wind at your back — riding larger open ocean swells coastwise; or on harbors, lakes, and rivers where fetch allows waves to be created. Heavy winds produce swells you ride from one location to another. “Riding” the swells is like surfing, but you are moving in a somewhat straight line covering a long distance, connecting bump after bump.

I have surfed in the Northwest since high school and began stand-up paddleboarding with friends in my adult life — the cold water has always felt therapeutic and

revitalizing, and the warmth generated after is a reward for my efforts. Yet, I was unaware of downwinding. Five years ago, on the island of Maui, that changed when I was ‘talking story’ with a waterwoman who began enthusiastically sharing her experiences downwind paddling the Maliko Run. This section of downwinding shares similarities with our famed local downwinding destination of Hood River — when the conditions are right, you are in for the ride of your life. The thought of taking what I love about surfing and being able to add new challenges and techniques in new areas felt like it unlocked more access to the water.

Soon after, there was an event called the Gorge Paddle Challenge in Hood River, and I decided to pack up my van and play spectator. I wanted to see the sport for myself and look into what kind of gear and access was needed. The event was three days long, and after observing the first day and befriending a local, Sara Washburn, I decided to use the buddy system and demo a board on the Viento Run. This is a popular 7-mile section of the Columbia River with a friendly put-in and egress in Hood River. I bought the board, and the rest is history… well, actually future.

I did my first Viento run in January of 2022. The water was 40 degrees and the air 38. I was shrink wrapped in a combination of neoprene and ‘exoskin’ with only my face exposed to the elements. The wind was howling, and the river was barren. It was at once exhilarating and terrifying, mostly because I knew I committed to a several mile journey before I could exit. I was instantly hooked. I love the chaos and grandeur of Mother Columbia. She forces you to be present with your every step. She demands respect.

My goal is to do Maui 2 Molokai before I am 50. I have a lot of work to get ready but the nice thing about this sport is that I enjoy the training as much as the race.

- C Davis Parchment

In the Salish Sea, the best time for downwinding is winter. Gear is essential. Wetsuits are better for cold water paddling than dry suits, because you have better mobility. Surfing in colder months demands a 5/4mm (5mm in the body and 4mm in the arms and legs) wetsuit because, unlike downwinding, there are periods of time where you are immobile and out in the cold air. When downwinding, it is game on right off the bat and you are constantly shifting, digging, gliding, and pivoting. You need maximum arm and shoulder mobility for paddling.

by Erica Lichty

Photo by Travis Boothe.

You lose roughly 40 to 50% of heat through your head, hands, and feet. I suggest 4-7mm wetsuit boots with minimal sole, and gloves if needed. When downwind paddling, you should wear gloves that provide dexterity. You move your grip along the paddle and switch hands, and likely need to access gear and food along the way. When I surf, I wear a hooded suit so that, after taking a few icy waves over the head, I can take it off in the line-up and set up for a wave. Same goes for downwinding — you will fall in, everyone does, and it can be a shock. You are also topside and in the elements, albeit exerting yourself, and you might want to conserve some heat. A hood that is attached to your wetsuit allows you to take it off and keep it accessible while also preventing water from seeping down your back upon entry/exit.

I love how the Magnolia cliffs shelter the upwind leg out to West Point, shooting down to Golden Gardens, then using the shelter of Shilshole Bay Marina to get back to the Elks. When there’s a north wind, the loop can be done in the opposite direction. It’s great to have two options at the same location.

- Ivan Storck

I would like to say you can use any paddleboard or paddle for downwind paddling — I don’t like to discourage anyone from getting out there and trying new things — but I won’t. Not only is safety a factor, but proper equipment will help you start comprehending how to move with the water and tap into the synchronicity of the board, the environment, and yourself. Preparation is key when interacting with these forces. Having a coiled leash is preferred (doesn’t drag in the water), but have a leash regardless. A PFD is a must as well — personal preference, but I’ve found a waist belt is good for some scenarios and a vest for others depending on duration, conditions, access to egress points. Research and ask fellow paddlers or local shops, and don’t undersell yourself on your gear — you can grow into the board. Invest in a good paddle, it is preventative medicine literally and figuratively.

Prior to starting SUP, I had been doing outrigger canoes (flatwater racing OC6s/OC1s in the PNWORCA circuit) for almost a decade. I had been downwinding an OC1 in the Gorge between Stevenson, Washington and Hood River, Oregon.

My first 3 years of SUP, I was always solo... since I hadn’t discovered social paddling. I started meeting people on the water around Spring 2017. I’d actually never heard of SUP downwinding and, coming from an OC1 background, I was stoked to know more about it and give it a try. Friends invited me to join a Viento Run so I could get a taste. On paper, it said 8-10mph winds with gusts 15-20... it was almost double those numbers while we were out, I had no business being out there!

Being my first time, I was both very frightened for my safety as well as so happy to be there, exposed to those elements. Afterwards, I reflected on the experience, and I knew immediately that I wanted to come back and do it again, and again, to be great at it. I will never stop learning, which is part of what I love about it.

Downwinding SUPs is difficult and challenging. I love the feeling of accomplishment after every session. I pass on my wisdom and knowledge to friends when given the opportunity. I once initiated an invitation to a couple friends to do the Viento Run, and next thing I knew, the group became 17 of us total! Unforgettable. I met lifelong friends that day.

- Manny de Leon

It is wise to downwind with a friend or group, both for safety reasons and so that

you have witnesses to your epic adventure, “It was how big?!” A downwind run usually requires shuttling, so friends make that easier.

Always bring both a mobile phone in a dry bag and a handheld VHF. Even on shorter runs you will get dehydrated. Bring water either in a waist/back bladder or somehow attach a bottle to your deck. Longer runs may call for breaks along the way, sitting on your board and letting everyone regroup and check-in is the perfect time for a snack. Other safety devices (conditional on the scenario and weather): small deck repair kit (I use Gorilla Tape), whistle, personal EPIRB, waterproof flare(s), mirror for signaling, and a towline. Once you get to know other downwinders, they will have preferences aplenty and some great tricks of the trade.

There are reputable companies that offer services for your growth and safety, like Seattle’s Salmon Bay Paddle, and Hood River options such as Stoke on the Water and Fiona Wylde’s Wylde Wind and Water.

Downwinding is just special. It has been tough for me to speak to how emotional the experience can be. You are not out there fighting against nature, there is a diplomacy between you and the environment — a focus on breath, rhythm, relaxation, and a glimpse into your own possibilities.

Erica Lichty is the founder of the nonprofit SEASTR, a 501 ©(3) that promotes women who adventure in the Pacific Northwest. SEASTR offers downwind retreats in Hood River, Oregon several times per year. Erica is also the new Education Coordinator for Seattle’s Maritime High School. Learn more at www.seastrpnw.com/

Photo by Douglas Fir Photography.

THREE SHEETS NORTHWEST 24

A VANCOUVER ISLAND CRUISER’S ‘HAT TRICK’

by Marty McOmber

It was the porpoises that sealed the deal.

When your summer cruising plans are to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, you have to be prepared to change your plans based on the conditions. Mostly that means avoiding bad weather or big seas by getting to a protected place and being patient.

But every so often, it means taking advantage of a situation when the factors align in your favor. Sometimes, pushing on is the best course of action. And that was the case for us in August as we approached the big three challenges in rounding the north end of the island — crossing the Nahwitti Bar, then clearing Cape Scott and the Brooks Peninsula.

Deborah and I had shoved off in mid-July from our homeport in Seattle with a loose plan to sail counterclockwise around Vancouver Island. Over the past few years, we have been refitting our 1984 Passport 40, Rounder, with long-distance sailing in mind. As we rushed to finish up some major projects through the winter and spring, we felt it was time to put many of those improvements — and more importantly, ourselves — through some serious sea trials.

In particular, we had just built a new rudder and redesigned and replaced the steering system and bearings. We also had brand-new sails to go with our recently replaced standing rigging.

In addition to all that great new gear, we needed to test ourselves. While we’ve cruised extensively in the Pacific Northwest, including to Southeast Alaska in 2018, we don’t have a lot of open ocean miles under our belts. And we hadn’t

done an overnight passage together. We wanted to make sure we were prepared and comfortable doing both of those things before we ventured farther afield.

And let’s face it, a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island is one of those accomplishments that many Northwest boaters dream of, but fewer actually achieve.

Over several weeks, we moved the boat up the east side of the island, enjoying time in Desolation Sound and the Broughton Archipelago. We also managed to keep working our day jobs from our floating office while doing so.

Per our plan, we made it up to Port Hardy, the last major town on the northeast side of the island and the traditional final stop before attempting the west coast. It was mid-August and we had two weeks of vacation that we hoped would give us adequate time to explore the many wonderful and remote anchorages and outposts on the wild side of the island.

On a Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m., I hit “end” on my work Zoom meeting, got the diesel engine fired up and waited while Deborah squeezed the last bits of reliable cellular data that we would have for a while. Then we were off.

Our first big test would be crossing the Nahwitti Bar. This can be a nasty stretch of water, thanks to the mix of strong currents, ocean swells, shallow water, the Tatnall Reefs, and big winds. All those forces are focused on a relatively narrow channel between Hope and Vancouver islands.

A new and unconsidered option dawned on me. What if we just kept going?

The most common strategy for pleasure boats is to anchor overnight in nearby Bull Harbour off Hope Island, wait until slack water, sneak around the south end of the reef, check the sea conditions on the bar and then, if safe, scoot across.

That was our plan as we chugged up the 22 miles of Goletas Channel from Port Hardy to Bull Harbour. The seas were flat and the wind mild, but a light curtain of fog hung around and suggested a thicker soup ahead.

The Nahwitti Bar is just the first challenge for boats. Once past it, you face another 20 miles of shelter-less coastline before reaching the infamous Cape Scott on the far northwest corner of the island, a magnet for bad weather and dangerous seas.

Once past Cape Scott, boats tend to head 8 miles south to Sea Otter Cove, a refuge with a tricky entrance best attempted in daylight, or 30 miles south to Winter Harbour in the protected waters of Quatsino Sound.

From there, the next big area of concern for boats heading south is to round the Brooks Peninsula, about 45 miles south of Cape Scott. Sticking out a dozen miles into the Pacific Ocean like a thumb, it tends to amplify winds and sea states into tempests. Smart sailors make sure they know what they are in for before

attempting to get past Brooks.

Truth be told, I was feeling pretty anxious about “the big three” as we motored toward Bull Harbour that afternoon. I get this way anytime we push the boat or ourselves outside of the normal comfort zones and especially when we are in new, unfamiliar waters. I had spent many hours planning the passage, understanding the options and studying the weather forecasts. This was a big deal for us, and we had plan A, B, C, and D in mind. But I also knew that any one of those plans might not work if the stuff really hit the fan.

And that’s when I spied the first of the Dall’s porpoises. Within a few minutes, three of them were playing in our bow wave, having a grand time as each took a turn surfing across it. We watched — delighted, as the dolphins seemed to be — and decided this had to be a good omen.

We were still a few hours from Bull Harbour, and Deborah headed down for an afternoon nap. Rather than getting thicker, the fog in Goletas Channel lifted to reveal a sky that was starting to clear. The current was in our favor, speeding us along.

Bull Harbour was soon drawing near — and so was the bar. We’d planned to spend the night there and get up early to catch

Sunrise over Vancouver Island on approach to their first post-passage anchorage.

A bright, full moon lights up the sky after rounding Cape Scott.

Rounder on the hook in Scow Bay after the overnight passage from Port Hardy.

The bar appeared relatively flat from about a half-mile out as I scanned that area carefully with my binoculars. All systems go. But I soon discovered that looks can be deceiving.

The seas were a bit bigger than I thought. We took a few hits of green water over the bow as we plunged ahead. Nothing our boat couldn’t handle and, frankly, we’ve been through worse on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

But the boat’s slamming motion and noise down below woke Deborah up and both she, and our cat, expressed a bit of surprise and annoyance that their restful slumber had been so rudely disturbed. Around 20 minutes later, we were through the worst of it and on our way to Cape Scott.

We enjoyed a light, late dinner as we approached Cape Scott and the sun began to touch the horizon over the Pacific, a sight we Salish Sea cruisers rarely get to enjoy. Deborah read aloud a chapter from the Northwest boating classic The Curve of Time, which had been our literary companion during this cruise. The swell of the ocean gently lifted and lowered us. Only the sound of the engine intruded on this idyllic time, since the wind remained too light to sail.

the early morning slack at the bar.

As the boat hummed along over flat water and no wind, I started going over the preplanned options in my head. I took another close look at the weather forecasting models. And then remembered that the moon would be full that night.

A new and unconsidered option dawned on me. What if we just kept going?

At the rate we were going, we would hit the bar about two hours before slack. That’s far from ideal. But the current would both be in our favor — and weakening so we could turn around and head for Bull Harbour if the conditions turned out to be too rough. The swells were forecast to be less than 1 meter. And the wind was supposed to stay light and favorable for us until at least the next day. After that, though, a low-pressure system was heading our way and we were looking at a few days of contrary and perhaps gale-force winds.

If we did keep going across the bar, we would hit Cape Scott around sunset. From there, another 90 minutes would see us to Sea Otter Cove. I quickly rejected that idea, because I didn’t want to navigate our boat into the cove at night. Winter Harbour seemed like the next logical stop. We could get down there by around 2:30 a.m. and drop the hook.

But if the conditions were as good as forecast, we could just keep going farther still. After all, one of our goals for the cruise was to do our first offshore overnight passage together. We just didn’t know when the conditions would be right for that. As it turned out, that night would be just about ideal.

The Nahwitti Bar, Cape Scott, and the Brooks Peninsula all in one overnight passage? Why, that would be the boating version of a hat trick!

I was getting close to the bar — and decision time. Deborah was still down below napping, which was great, because it meant she would be well rested for the first night watch from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Although we normally discuss big changes in plans, I felt confident that Deborah would agree with this one.

As we rounded Cape Scott just past sunset, a big, bright orange moon rose over Vancouver Island. We poured a shot of rum into the water and gave thanks to all the proper deities for allowing us to reach this cruising milestone.

Then we settled into a long and uneventful night, passing Winter Harbour and later, the Brooks Peninsula, just as the gray light of nautical dawn heralded the start of the new day.

We dropped anchor in Scow Bay, a lovely nook in the Bunsby Islands, later that morning.

We were tired from our interrupted sleep but exhilarated by a passage through three of the most challenging obstacles of our cruise. We had lots of options as we set out from Port Hardy, but the best option, it turned out, was to keep our options open.

And those three playful porpoises, which seemed to be nudging us along, gave us just the encouragement we needed.

A shot of rum offered up to the gods of the sea.

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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WINTER CRUISING ANYONE?

YES, OFFSEASON SAILING HAS ITS REWARDS ON THE SALISH SEA

Cruising in the offseason isn’t for everyone. But the great thing about the Pacific Northwest is that we can be on the water year-round. Winter adventurers just have to be prepared for the sometimes challenging weather, which can be fickle, and winds and rain can last for days on end.

However, those willing to brave the cold winter weather will have an opportunity to enjoy popular cruising destinations of the Salish Sea with very few other boaters around.

WHERE TO GO?

We are fortunate in the Salish Sea because there are so many wonderful winter cruising destinations to tuck into and enjoy. When embarking on a winter cruise, you need to know how much time you’ll have for the adventure, and then you need to decide where you would like to go and what you’d like to do when you get there. A winter cruise does not need to be a long multi-week trip, but weather may dictate when and if you can move.

The joy of winter cruising should not be measured by how far you go. Instead, it should be gauged by whether or not you enjoyed it. Some sailors like to rough it and find the most isolated anchorages. Others like to be plugged in and cozy while in a more developed setting. Fortunately, you can do both in the Pacific Northwest on a winter cruise.

In particular, my wife Heather and I enjoy visiting popular marine parks during the winter months. By visiting the parks in the offseason, we normally can find a dock spot or a buoy at every park we visit. In the wintertime, we have been lucky enough to be the only boat tied to some typically extremely popular Washington state marine park docks.

Washington State has more than 40 marine parks for people

Nordic Sun II alone at Blake Island Marine State Park in February.

Greg Larsen

to visit. Some have docks that may or may not have shore power, while others only have mooring buoys. Additionally, if you happen to be 62 or older, State Parks has an Offseason Senior Citizen Pass. Keep in mind, though, that some state park docks may be removed for the winter season.

Occasionally, we like to cruise to marinas in areas around Puget Sound that offer the amenities of civilization. There is nothing more enjoyable than stepping off your boat on a crisp winter morning for a stroll up to a warm local coffee shop to get breakfast and a WiFi fix. If urban cruising sounds more like your thing, then you might want to check out winter destinations such as Friday Harbor, Belltown, Eagle Harbor, Poulsbo, Anacortes, Tacoma, Olympia, or other similar waterfront destinations.

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS

The winters around Puget Sound can be cold, windy, and rainy. When the skies open up and a squall kicks up the waves, sailing can be a bone-chilling experience. Not all of us have a nice cozy pilothouse to skipper from, but having a good dodger provides shelter from the winter weather. Having a totally enclosed cockpit, like we do on Nordic Sun II, helps to make cruising in the wintertime quite comfortable.

Another nice thing to have, though not necessarily a requirement for braving the winter weather, is a heat source. It is difficult to overstate how nice a warm cozy cabin is when you come in out of the cold while exploring the Salish Sea. If you plan to go marina hopping, you might only need a portable electric heater that can be run while plugged into shore power. However, if you want to enjoy the quieter anchorages and marine parks then an off-the-grid heat source is invaluable.

Alternate heat sources come in many shapes and sizes. Some run off your engine, which are good when you are underway. Others have a separate heating unit that is run off your engine’s fuel system. These systems can provide heat from forced air, circulating hot water, or can radiate heat from a furnace system. Others might have a propane or wood burning heat source. Regardless of which alternate heat source you might choose, make sure it is in good working order prior to heading out on your winter cruise. There’s nothing worse than getting out there and firing up your heater on a cold evening, only to find that it sputters and fails to provide the warmth you so crave.

PACKING FOR WINTER WEATHER

To combat the winter elements, appropriate cold weather clothing is a must. Layering is the recommended method, and the one I use, to keep warm. I start by wearing a good quality set of long-underwear that wicks moisture away from the body. For the next layer I wear fleece pants on the bottom and for the top a long-sleeve dry-fit t-shirt with a thin fleece or wool sweater over it. For the outer layer, or layers, there are several

Nordic Sun II sharing a dock with other winter cruisers at Fossil Bay, Sucia Island.

An empty Percival Landing in Olympia on a winter’s day.

good options. It is critical to have at least a heavy foul weather jacket that blocks the wind and cold. Additionally, I use a fleece jacket as one more layer. Sometimes a light shell raincoat will work on those not so cold days. If you have some ski warmups, they make a great outer layer for the legs to keep warm during those cold winter delivery days. You should also always bring extra sets of clothes should the first set get wet.

We all know there can, and probably will, be a lot of rain in the winter months. Having a good set of rain gear and some waterproof boots should be on your packing list. If the boots are insulated, all the better. Check your gear and boots for leaks before you actually need them. Similar to your heater, it’s a significant bummer if you get out there in the wind and rain and realize your gear doesn’t work.

Do not forget to pack a few pairs of wool socks, some gloves, and a wool hat or two. I like to have a pair of fisherman-quality rubber gloves that are fleece lined. These are ideal for keeping your hands toasty warm and dry when you are out trimming sails and anchoring in the rain.

The nights can be long and cold during the winter time. We don’t always have the luxury or want to run our heater 24 hours per day to keep the boat warm. Therefore, we also bring along a couple of extra warm blankets and/or sleeping bags to snuggle under during those nights.

CABIN FEVER

Days and nights can seem long while winter cruising. When the winter winds are up and the rains come down, you might find yourself spending more time in the cabin than on a normal summer cruise. To keep cabin fever from setting in, bring along a few of your favorite leisure time activities. We bring a lot of books, board games, cards, and movies to help keep us busy while confined to the cabin. Some of the best memories of past winter cruises are the card game, domino, or backgammon tournaments we have had during those dreary winter hours. I still run across those winter card game scores from time to time, as I flip through our different old logbooks.

Also, if you have a stove and oven that is up to the task, baking and cooking aboard in the winter not only provides delicious meals, it also warms up the boat. Another plus is that onboard cooking can get you off of the boat to find necessary ingredients at grocery stores that you usually don’t frequent.

Similar to getting off the boat for a shopping expedition, winter is one of the best times to go beachcombing. Those big storms that blow through bring lots of different flotsam and jetsam ashore. Being one of the first to walk the beaches for salty treasures that floated in can be rewarding. We’ve been known to bring home a few buoys to add to our collection of nautical yard art.

Nordic Sun II’s fully enclosed cockpit, which makes it more user-friendly in the winter.

WATCH THE WEATHER

The winter can bring strong, stormy winds, and bad weather. You need to pay close attention to the local marine weather forecast for the area you plan to go winter cruising in. By following the weather closely, you can determine whether or not a winter gale will be coming your way. Knowing what weather is coming helps in making the decision whether to stay put or find a safe haven to ride out any approaching rough weather.

I like to review the weather each evening and morning to determine whether a storm is brewing. I use NOAA and the Canadian government weather forecasts to keep me informed on approaching weather systems. These organizations both put out zoned forecasts that can be found on different VHF weather channels, as well as in textual formats on the web.

GO WINTER CRUISING!

I personally like to take time in the winter to visit those marinas and anchorages that are typically crowded with boaters in the summer months. The Washington State Parks department has many excellent marine parks that offer buoys and dock spaces for boaters. But that is not to say all winter cruising destinations have to be to a marine park. Being tied to a city dock makes it easy to explore those more urban locations. Urban marina hopping might be just what you need to enjoy cruising in the winter time. Regardless of where you might go and for how long you are gone, one thing for sure is that a winter cruise on the Salish Sea will be a rewarding and memorable boating experience.

Greg Larsen is a cruiser and racer with a lifetime of sailing experience. He and his family have been cruising the waters of the Salish Sea from Olympia to Alaska for decades.

Pumping out the dinghy after a rainy winter night.

• Information about state park moorage fees and what each park has to offer can be found at: https://parks.wa.gov/648/Moorage.

• Offseason Senior Citizen Pass information is available at: www.parks.wa.gov/1205/Off-Season-Senior-Citizen-Pass

• NOAA zoned weather forecasts around Seattle: www.weather.gov/marine/sewmz

• Zoned forecasts for the south coast of British Columbia: weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02.

It is difficult to overstate how nice a warm cozy cabin is when you come in out of the cold while exploring the Salish Sea.

A collection of buoys found on beaches around Sucia Island.

THE CRUISING CURE

by Andy Cross

With Jill at the helm and me working lines and placing fenders, we coaxed Yahtzee off the dock against the protests of a stiff cross-breeze at Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes. It was one of those winter southeasterlies that makes you think twice about leaving, “Maybe we should just stay for one more day.” Alas, we needed to go.

Successfully off the dock without incident and weaving our way toward the breakwater, I suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice call out, “Hey, Yahtzee! I hope you guys are feeling better!”

We were… mostly.

The much appreciated salutation was from a reader who had noticed our boat, and it brought a smile to my face. I’d met him outside the marina restrooms the day prior and when he wanted to shake hands, I explained that our family of four was just getting over a nasty bout with the flu, so I’d grab one next time. (Note: This story took place prior to the Covid era.) We’d been dealing with this illness for more days than any of us would have liked, and during the dregs of winter winds and rains, life aboard was uncomfortable. Certainly, it was not the glamorous part of living on a sailboat. But our fortunes would soon change.

With our family on the mend, we decided to head back out toward the San Juan Islands for what would end up being a rejuvenating stretch of winter cruising. Fully provisioned and ready for some island time, our plan was to visit quieter offseason spots before ending up in Friday Harbor a week or so later. Our hope, too, was that we’d have decent enough weather to stretch our legs ashore, sit by a few beach fires, and do some exploring in our rowing dinghy and kayak.

We set the mainsail with a single reef, rolled out most of the genoa, and shot through Guemes Channel on a favorable tide. Pressing out into Rosario Strait, I felt like a heavy weight was slowly lifted from my shoulders. Our family was feeling better, almost back to full strength, and the tranquility of the islands beckoned with open arms, welcoming us home to a place we know well and love dearly.

Our first stop was Spencer Spit State Park and, when we pulled into the northern mooring field, not a single other boat was there. After securing to a ball closest to shore to avoid fetch, we took in our surroundings — the scenery popped in the now fading light. We decided to stay on the boat, turn the heater on, and make a slow cooked meal instead of heading for shore. We were in no hurry, settling back into a more lackadaisical pace of cruising life, and the mainland seemed a lot farther away.

The islands feel like a totally different cruising ground with fewer boats around and it seemed like we had the whole

place to ourselves. Accordingly, instead of worrying about how full anchorages, docks, and parks might be, we could take each day as it came.

Overnight, the southeasterly wind abated and we had a slow, meandering sail to Jones Island the next day. Our boatspeed hit 5.5 a few times, but mostly stayed at a steady 3 knots. It was one of those lazy sails — no matter how much our speed fluctuated in the erratic current, it was of no consequence how fast or slow we went. We were sailing, and that’s all that mattered.

When we got to Jones, the wind had gone mostly east and wasn’t supposed to be strong overnight, so we picked up a mooring ball on the south side. Once settled, the dinghy and kayak were promptly launched and we made for shore to let the boys explore and to get in a much needed walk. Truly, we felt like we were in our element, rowing and paddling, and unwinding around the park for the afternoon and into the evening.

Jones Island has a faraway feel in the

The islands feel like a totally different cruising ground with fewer boats around and it seemed like we had the whole place to ourselves. Instead of worrying about how full anchorages, docks, and parks might be, we could take each day as it came.

Jill paddles home to Yahtzee after a trip ashore.

winter. The solitude is palpable and, while walking the trails or just sitting on the beach, it made us wonder what life would have been like for those who came before us. How did the First Nations people use the island? What was life like here when Commander Charles Wilkes and his crews came through during the United States Exploring Expedition in 1841? And what were the trials and tribulations of homesteading the island after that? All questions that are easy to ask of the San Juan Islands, but not necessarily simple to answer.

While returning to Yahtzee, a lazy drizzle turned into a steady downpour that chased us aboard and had me quickly lighting our Dickinson heater to dry out foulies and warm the boat. Soon, the oven went on for pizza night, and I read aloud to the boys on the settee. Rain steadily pitter-pattered on the cabin top and it truly felt like winter cruising. The day had been short but fun, and the weather moody. Yet, it was rewarding, relaxing, and healing.

Throughout the rest of the week, this same tone would repeat itself as we hopped from Jones to Matia, Sucia, and then Patos islands. Patos is always a favorite of ours and it was particularly special to be there alone. We walked out to the lighthouse, threw rocks in the water, and watched several bald eagles catch a meal near our boat. Then, while having an evening fire at one of the campsites, we realized we were ready for a slice of life ashore again. Our family’s health had returned and time in civilization sounded great, luxurious even — friends, a meal at a favorite restaurant, grocery shopping, and new books from the library.

The next morning, we woke to an odd snow shower that gave way to brilliant, warm sunshine. With the kayak and dinghy still in the water, we headed to shore for one last walk on the beaches and grassy green trails. The boys laughed, played, stomped in puddles, and wrestled. At one point, I found myself sitting on the end of a picnic table with Jill just watching and smiling. It felt great.

A few hours later we let go of the park mooring, hoisted Yahtzee’s mainsail, and set out for Friday Harbor. The sun remained bright overhead while a 10 to 12 knot northeasterly pushed us south

Yahtzee sits on a mooring at Patos Island.

Yahtzee uses a fresh breeze to sail towards Patos Island.

The author’s sons, Magnus and Porter, enjoy the ride.

past Waldron Island toward San Juan Channel and then into the harbor just before sunset. Along the way, I chatted on the phone with a buddy who has a family home on San Juan Island, and I think he could tell we were in need of a good meal and some time with friends. A dinner invitation was extended for the

Tucked into a slip in Friday Harbor, our crew’s excitement was evident. It was good to be in town again and all of us could feel it. Over the course of the next few days, we did exactly what we’d hoped; caught up with great friends, went out to our favorite restaurant, and re-stocked Yahtzee with food. It was a far cry from the day we departed Anacortes, which seemed like a lifetime ago. But

the well wishes we’d received still rang in my ear, “Feel better!” Indeed, we did, cruising the San Juans in the winter was the perfect cure.

Andy Cross is the editor of 48° North. You can follow his family’s cruising adventures at SailingYahtzee.com.

OFFSHORE DOUBLES

48° NORTH INTERVIEW: CHRIS AND JUSTIN WOLFE, AND STEPHANIE ARNOLD AND KEN MACHTLEY by Joe

Cline

These two inspiring couples call Orcas Island home and each pair completed the Pacific Cup race to Hawaii doublehanded this summer. Christina and Justin Wolfe are some of the most experienced and accomplished doublehanders in our region and beyond, and did Pac Cup on their J/111 Raku. Stephanie Arnold and Ken Machtley sail their J/99 Dash, and illustrate the amazing adventures that are available even for those who are newer to the shorthanded racing scene. Read on as these awesome sailors share many facets of the doublehanded offshore experience.

48° North: Tell us about your genesis as offshore doubles teams. How did you start thinking about doublehanding a race to Hawaii?

Justin: Chris and I actually met because I bought a Sonoma 30 that I wanted to race doublehanded. At the time, the shorthanded opportunities in Seattle were Jack and Jill races, and I needed a Jill. It never really occurred to me to have any other big goal in racing than doing doublehanded offshore distance racing. The Salish Sea has been a really good proving ground to get there — with all the races we have to offer including lots of overnight races, there’s lots of opportunities to go out and practice.

Chris: I’d just add that it’s always been much easier for the two of us to go out and go sailing than to organize a crew for a race. There’s that practical logistics aspect. And I like to sail with him.

48N: Once you started racing as a pair, how long was it before you were on the start line of your first Hawaii race?

Justin: Eighteen years. We went cruising, and sailed across the Atlantic two years before our first Pac Cup. We cruised on the same boat we would race, but we didn’t just jump into it as a campaign.

48N: Ken and Stephanie, how did you decide doublehanded racing was your thing?

Ken: When we started dating, Steph had the J/33 and never had a consistent crew. So for her, it was beneficial to be able to count on one other person and have consistency on her crew.

For me, I had only been racing for five years on the Martin 242 and other small keelboats. Jumping up to the bigger boat and doing doublehanded racing — both of those were going to be challenges, and I like new challenges. I had done the offshore cruising thing years ago. So I had been offshore, just not in the racing context.

48N: Stephanie, was going offshore always in your mind?

Steph: I’d always wanted to go offshore — my dream was to go cruising when I retired. When I was racing the 33 and Ken and I started sailing together, Chris and Justin were a huge inspiration. We started to think, “Wow, we could do this.” The dream of cruising can come later, but I really love racing, and being able to go race doublehanded offshore — what an opportunity, what a thing to go try!

Chris: We both bought new boats at the same time. We both realized we wanted to focus more on doublehanded offshore racing, and we both went out looking for what we thought was going to be the best boat for that.

The Wolfes and Raku in Hawaii.

Ken and Stephanie after finishing Pac Cup.

48N: Your boats are close cousins, but what went into your respective boat choices? And how did you think about the differences, given your relative experience levels or aspirations.

Ken: Chris and Justin wanted a boat that rated faster than what they already had in the J/120. The J/99 would rate slower. Their rationale made sense, “Why would we buy a slower boat, even if it’s designed for shorthanding?”

We understood that the J/111 was a more tender boat, and the J/99 was a sexy new boat specifically designed for what we wanted to do. In retrospect, we didn’t have the experience that Chris and Justin had to handle a more tender boat like the 111. They’re very, very similar — the same slip size — but theirs has got a pole, ours has a fixed sprit, our beam carries aft farther, our stability index is higher, our mast is shorter. So, all of those things make the 99 that much easier for us being less experienced.

48N: Why was the J/111 the right boat for you, Chris and Justin?

Chris: Given that we sail mostly in the Salish Sea, a reasonably light air venue, we wanted something that would power up and really sail well here. The J/111 was kind of the obvious choice. We’ve been super happy, but there were a lot of times during the Hawaii race when I think I really would have loved to have the tiller that Dash has.

Justin: All boats are compromises. We had to make the compromise of what would be the best boat for sailing around here, and the best boat for offshore doublehanding. If you only

did one or the other, you would end up with two different boats. I think we nailed it better for the Salish Sea — we have the perfect boat for us to sail our local waters.

48N: Justin, you alluded to it… Talk a little bit more about the Salish Sea as a training venue.

Justin: There are so many races you can do to gain experience, especially overnight experience — Swiftsure and Southern Straits, Van Isle, Patos Island, and the Smith Island Race. Overnight races provide a big step from just doing buoy races or day races. When you’re doublehanding, you have to start resting and measuring your effort. Plus you have to sail at night, which of course you’re going to do for those other distance races. It is unique to have opportunities to hone those skills across quite a wide range of races. In some other sailing venues, the overnight races are quite similar, often starting in the same place and finishing right back where you started.

Our challenge is that we don’t get the big waves downwind, like we would wish we had for going out in the big blue. So, we go out and do races like the PNW Offshore or Van Isle, or Swiftsure on the way back. You have to seek those out a little harder.

48N: Ken and Stephanie, how did you feel the local waters and races prepared you for your first Hawaii race?

Steph: As my first real offshore sailing, I wish I had more prep, especially the night sailing with the kite and the big waves. It’s not that we didn’t seek that out — we did PNW Offshore, for

Chris and Justin on their previous boat at the start of their first Pac Cup in 2014.

Stephanie would have liked more experience in big waves prior to Pac Cup, but she looks very capable helming in big seas here!

example. Some of our prep was affected by Covid cancellations. Looking ahead, I’d love to go do the race again, and go get that experience and see how much we could improve from the first time.

48N: Is it possible to really feel prepared without having done it?

Steph: You try to prep and do the classes; but the weather, the squalls, the sea state — I just had no real experience driving that, sailing that, racing that. It was a learning curve, but I never felt scared. I was really impressed with the J/99, the boat felt really, really secure. It was more the other things. We lost the halyard and one of the sheets came loose, and it was always in the middle of the pitch black night. With just two of you on the boat, you’re tired. How much more can you take? How come this didn’t happen in our training?

Ken: Here’s a scenario. We were reaching with the code zero at night on our fourth day out, and the wind is starting to come up. We felt like we’re pushing the boat pretty hard. I was off watch and “BOOM!” there’s a loud noise. A couple of minutes later, Steph got me up saying, “The boat’s going 2-3 knots and I can’t figure out why.” It took us a while shining the light around to realize the halyard had sawed itself through on the sheave and the sail was sitting in the water. Wrestling that on deck took so much energy, and doing that in the dark made it more difficult.

We started with only two halyards, then we were down to one, and we had a long way to go to Hawaii. We were pushing it and the experience that night dialed us back and made us more practical. We continued to make performance decisions, but we probably shifted from racing to Hawaii to cruising or just getting there after that.

48N: Chris and Justin, what kinds of things has experience taught you that helped you avoid situations like that and put you and your boat in a position to keep the pedal down?

Chris: It’s an endurance sport and managing the rest is crucial. During our first two Pac Cups, I remember just how tired I was the whole time. When you’re tired, you start to worry about something happening because you’re not feeling like you can handle it well. In the last couple of years, we’ve been able to figure out what works for us when it comes to managing fatigue. This Hawaii race was night and day for us — just how good we felt and that we were refreshed and ready to be able to push the boat and try to handle things, should something come up.

48N: How did you manage rest, and what changed?

Chris: Using the autopilot is legal during Pac Cup. We tried to use it as much as we could, and we were trimming for the autopilot. The last three days, we ended up having to hand steer. And we did that 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off for threeand-a-half days.

48N: You didn’t sleep longer than 30 minutes in those last days?

Justin: No, but we felt great at the end of it.

Chris: That’s how we do the 300 mile races.

Justin: We learned that in Italy and found that it was just amazing. We went into this Hawaii race knowing it was going to be more challenging with bigger breeze the farther we went. So, we tried to just pack in the rest up front. By day eight, I felt as rested as before I started the race.

48N: How did you guys do watches prior to the hand steering window?

Justin: One-and-a-half to three hours. We’re very flexible. We don’t look at a clock, it’s just a timer. We agree as we’re going down how long an off-watch will be based on what has happened and how much energy we’ve just expended. It’s a discussion of how to optimize for the two of us — one to get rest and the other one to not get too crushed. Not digging deep while you’re on watch is as important as trying to get the rest when you’re off watch.

48N: Ken and Stephanie, how was that similar or different from how you handled watches and rest?

Ken: We did three-hour watches and were more by the clock. In my cruising experience, that’s how we broke stuff up.

Steph had a fair amount of seasickness, so I was the one doing the cooking, the weather, and the email updates we sent out each day. Rest-wise, that played into it. I tried to do some of that on my watch when it wasn’t too windy for the autopilot.

48N: How long did you struggle with seasickness, Steph?

Steph: The first few days were tough. It’s debilitating to try to get up and do your watch and concentrate, while hanging over the rail at the same time. I tried different medicines and different things. It subsided, but I always had that queasiness, and if I didn’t take the medication every 12 hours, it would come back.

48N: Chris and Justin, is seasickness something you guys have dealt with?

Chris: We’ve been fortunate to avoid debilitating seasickness. We’ve done a couple of races with Ken and Steph now and know how hard Steph’s experience has been, I have so much empathy for what that must be like. We use meclizine and we have a recipe that has worked really well for us — we take it for two nights prior to the race start and then stop. It’s in our system but we don’t have drowsiness. On our Atlantic crossing, I took some Dramamine in the middle of it and I was just dead to the world.

Justin: That’s experience, right? It took us a little while to figure it out. We don’t even have to think about it anymore, we know how we’re going to approach it.

48N: Three out of four of you had offshore cruising background before you went offshore racing as doublehanders. How much do the three of you lean on that cruising experience when you’re out racing?

Ken: Given that it was the only experience I had going offshore, I probably lean on it a fair amount. The preparation, making sure every nut and bolt is tight, inspecting everything, watching for chafe — there are skills you just take for granted after you’ve done it. I don’t think it was essential, though. Your first sea mile is your first sea mile, whether you’re racing or cruising.

Justin: For me, the benefit was just more miles, more experiences, more time at night. You see big winds — 40 knots or more — and after a few hours or days of that, it seems a little easier. There’s nothing magical about it, but time at sea is valuable.

Ken: That’s a good point, it’s always about raising your threshold. There were times when I was in a comfort zone and Steph probably leaned on me to say, “This is ok.” It’s important to trust each other, and those experiences and thresholds.

Justin: That’s what a lot of the longer races, like Hawaii, are about — trying to gain experiences that you’re going to encounter out there before you do the race. The more experience you have, the easier it’s going to be. This third Hawaii race wasn’t necessarily easier because of the previous two races, just the fact that we had accumulated experiences that prepared us and matched what we were doing. That was true right up until the very last day, when we ended up with hurricane swells coming from the side — we never experienced that before and we sucked at it. We couldn’t figure out how to fly the kite or the code zero. We were back to square one.

48N: Chris and Justin, it is unique that you had such extensive cruising experience with the identical crew that you go racing with. How important does it feel to be building that experience as that unit?

Justin: For the way we approach it, it’s everything. All of the decisions and actions we make are because of the relationship that we have. We can immediately jump to start doing something because we know how the two of us are going to handle it.

Chris: And maybe a little deeper into that, there’s the teambuilding. We’re married, and then there’s Chris and Justin on the boat as teammates. We’ve figured out when to say, “We’ll talk about that later,” as we’re racing. It’s not affecting the relationship we have in our marriage — it’s a little more complicated, but it’s also much more rewarding.

Justin: I don’t know that it’s a couple thing as much as it is a teammate thing. You could do this equally well without being a couple — good friends building understanding and time on the boat.

48N: Ken and Steph, your shared experience is different. How do you think about it?

Steph: We joke about it — our goal was to be still talking to each other at the end of the race. It’s a fairly new relationship, and it’s a lot to do something like this. You have to sail to the weakest person on the boat because you don’t want to scare the other person, but you also have to trust the other person even if you’re a little nervous about certain things.

Ken: If you’re sailing doublehanded, you’ve got to be committed to learning on your own. If we did this again, we might want to crew on someone else’s boat. You’re not the one

worrying about the boat, and you’re immersing yourself in an environment where you’re a contributing team member but also learning.

Justin: You’re absolutely right. If the goal is simply to get better at doublehanding, doing some crewed racing with good people is part of that. Just as an example, we did a 400-mile delivery with Jonathan McKee on a Figaro 3. We’d never sailed together before and we barely knew him before that. But, spend 400 miles sailing with Jonathan, and it changes your world. It changed our perspective and what we’re shooting for as much as anything.

48N: What other advice do you have for people who look up to the four of you as sailors who are doing something that they might want to do?

Steph: I would say get out there, seek out those opportunities, and go try it. Doublehanding is for some people, and it’s not for others. You never know until you experience it.

Ken: I agree, it’s about putting your foot in the water and trying it out. If it’s your partner or spouse, that’s an obvious choice, but it could be anybody. Find somebody you can really trust and start with a small race, or even going out and doing your own thing.

Chris: I would recommend that people look outside of the U.S. to what’s going on in places like the U.K. and France. It is really, really inspiring. Justin and I had the opportunity to see the Vendée Globe start. It’s motivating to see what those shorthanded sailors are doing, what’s going on with the doublehanded scene elsewhere in Europe, and what kind of conditions they’re sailing in. There are always challenges in a Hawaii race, and there were times when a squall would hit

and it would get a little saucy, but I would think to myself, “This is nothing like what they’re doing in the North Sea. We’re not experiencing 40 right now, people do this all the time.” It sets the expectation and helps you think about the situation by stepping back and remembering, “I chose to be here and this is one of the interesting aspects of our sport.”

Justin: Both teams have proven that we have the ladder rungs in the Salish Sea to prepare yourself to race to Hawaii. You can do any race doublehanded — we just go out and race against the fully crewed boats, we don’t care. We’ve met some really good doublehanded sailors that were completely intimidated by doing something like a Swiftsure doublehanded.

Ken: Using those races as stepping stones, you don’t have to go full-on. If you’re doing Swiftsure and it starts blowing 30, stick with white sails and reef.

Justin: Or you put your biggest sail up and think, “At least we get to go home tonight!” (laughing). Let’s make it go ugly now so we know what that looks like.

Ken: For more concrete advice, sailors could check out the Pacific Northwest Shorthanded Sailing Society, which the four of us founded. Our hope is to encourage local clubs to include shorthanded classes in their existing races — and then encourage shorthanded teams to come racing. We are always available to chat or answer questions, the website has some good resources, and we’re working on a PNW Shorthanded Championship circuit for 2023. It’s exciting to think about how shorthanded sailing might continue to grow in our sailing community.

Joe Cline is the Managing Editor of 48° North. Learn more about the PNW Shorthanded Sailing Society at www.pnwsss.org/

All smiles for the Dash crew, who have done some big, big stuff together in 2022!

Chris hand steering Raku in "saucy" conditions near Hawaii this summer.

A GREAT DAY TO RACE YOUR HOUSE

by Ryan Helling

Sloop Tavern Yacht Club’s Race Your House is an annual race for liveaboard sailboats, and a much awaited event on the calendar for many local sailors. It’s certainly not that it’s the most competitive racing, but a great chance for liveaboards to get off the dock and show what their houses can do. Grab some friends, put a lasagna in the oven and let’s go racing!

In 2022, 23 boats participated across four classes, ranging from the fast Outremer 51 Spice in the multihull division; to full keel “crab crusher” cruisers; to the scratch boat, a turbo Santa Cruz 52 ULDB (ultralight displacement boat) rating an astonishing -21 in PHRF. That’s a fast house! I was happy to be out sailing our house, the Farr 44, Coho, with family and friends.

We could not have asked for better conditions, with a dry break in the weather and 10-15 knots from the south. The race started off the Shilshole breakwater with a short weather leg around one of the marks at the entrance to the ship canal. From there, it was a reach across the Sound to Jefferson Head. It was a great sight seeing many boats under spinnaker.

Way out in front of the fleet, the Sweden 36, Breeze, in the No Flying Sails division was wing-and-wing and sailing fast. Those guys had to be feeling pretty good.

After the Jefferson Head mark, it was a beat back to Meadow Point. For most boats, it was a long starboard tack across the Sound with a few tacks along the eastern shore to make the mark in front of Golden Gardens. The breeze lightened on the last leg to the finish and it paid to hit the beach where there was current relief and a little more wind. Big gains were made here by boats that played it right.

Breeze handily won the No Flying Sails class. Spice, the Outremer 51 catamaran was the winner in the one-boat multihull division. Class 2, the slower of the Flying Sails group, saw only two seconds separating winner Two Hip to Quit!, a C&C 30-2, and the well sailed Altair, a Sceptre 41. In Class 3, the faster Flying Sails division, the Santa Cruz 52 Escargot took the class win as well as the overall title as the Fastest House for 2022.

Thanks to all the liveaboard participants and the STYC volunteers for putting on such a fun and unique event!

Photo by Nadine Anderson.

Photo by Kristina Southard.

by Stephanie Campbell

GRAND PRIX 2022

80s VIBES AT THE FALL CLASSIC

When I think of Grand Prix, I can't help but reminisce about my first time racing with my parents back in the 1980s. It was a big deal to be invited and we felt like we hit the big time. With the 80s on my mind and in my Grand Prix weekend plans, and the decade’s hits blasting on my stereo, this report might be just “What You Need.” It’s definitely “What You Got.”

“I Can’t Fight this Feeling” that we were “Walking on Sunshine”, “Against All Odds.” They may have predicted light air and 100% rain all weekend, but “I’m So Excited” to say that’s not exactly what happened.

Seattle Yacht Club put the grand in Grand Prix at their

historical regatta on October 21- 23, 2022. You might think I’m crazy, but “In the Heat of the Moment” it’s really about the overall experience of an event. Grand Prix delivered fun times on and off the water. “Would I Lie to You?”

I missed out on Friday sailing due to a room full of 7-year-old students, but I hear that, “Abracadabra,” the rain went away and the breeze came up. There was one long race on Friday, with a few laps up and down central Puget Sound. They say that the middle of the course was “Bad Medicine.” At the committee boat end, you had to “Fight for Your Right” to go right. If you were “Hanging Tough” on the shore, you fared well. There was “Mony Mony” on the outside too. “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Choosing one or the other kept you out of the “Danger Zone.” "Girl You Know it’s True," division winners on Friday included the likes of Glory, Hydra, Lodos, Vitesse, Jaded, and Jolly Green There may have been a protest hearing when I arrived on Friday night, but “Our Lips Are Sealed.”

Saturday morning dawned rainy, sunny, southerly, westerly, northerly, and then easterly, “Right Round Like a Record Baby.” We were hoping for a “Fresh” breeze, but everywhere the marks were set, they ended up “Against the Wind.” “Don’t Stop Believin’”, we had a few practice starts and got in one good windward leg.

At one point, a herd of boats started motoring north unexpectedly. We didn’t see wind? Or hear anything on the radio? Smart sailors were literally chasing “The Blue Sky” to

Tight racing between the TP52s saw Smoke come out on top for the weekend.

avoid a temporary torrential downpour. With “Every Breath (of wind) You Take” already exhausted, the race committee sent us in for the day. I might be a “Maniac”, but it sounded super fun to join a fellow racer’s birthday party at an 80s show in Fremont. Why not “Dance the Night Away” after a day of drifting? “Everyone’s a Winner Baby”, “One Way or Another.”

Sunday morning, the regatta was on. A decent southerly filled and each of the divisions got off two or three races. With minimal shifts, a good start and ability to turn corners was clutch. The fast boat fleet got to stretch their legs a bit and employ more strategy racing to permanent marks. Other fleets did hot laps around temporary marks. Shortly after 2:00 p.m. we were ready for the last race of the weekend. Honestly, on my boat we thought we might have two more to go. It’s always better to have more than one person read the sailing instructions! As we went into sequence, there was just enough time to pull off all starts before the time limit, but a general recall in Division 1 derailed the plan. AP over A went up and we were all told to “Beat It.” It was not the “Thriller” that Grand Prix sometimes delivers, but definitely a fun day of good sailing.

It was time for “Puttin’ on the Ritz” at the big Sunday night party at Seattle Yacht Club. “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”, the party is across town and some sailors went “All the Way” in dresses and, in one awesomely predictable case, an 80s tuxedo and flashing port/starboard shoes. We hardly recognized each other! To be honest, two of our crew quite literally did not recognize each other. A shout out for the bottomless beers that were refilled as you wandered around. And that cake! “Stand

J/80 Underdog won their class.

Back”! A grand regatta ending to be sure. They say the “Winner Takes it All”, but I say there was plenty of winning to go around.

Rockstar performances rewarded with bouquets of flowers include Smoke winning Class 1, Hydra in the top spot of the stacked Class 2, Lodos in Class 3, Vitesse coming in over the small but mighty boats in Class 4, Creative in the J/105 fleet and Underdog was the top dog in the J/80 fleet. Thank you, Seattle Yacht Club! It was “Just Like Paradise.”

courtesy of Jan Anderson

Photos

THE FAST LANE ON GOLDEN SHORES ROUND THE COUNTY 2022

by Joe Cline

Round the County has my heart. The two-day trip around the San Juans is among the most anticipated races on the calendar, and I would venture that a plurality of PNW sailors would call it their favorite event. Depending on the year, Round the County can dole out the raw power of the Salish Sea’s natural forces, or one of the prettiest race courses on Planet Earth, or both. This was a golden year with sun and enough breeze for at least some of the fleet to complete the course within the time limit each day.

As with human loved ones, a beloved race can simultaneously be dear and occasionally infuriating. This race saw high highs and low lows for many boats on the course, the one your author was aboard very much included. Yet, with it freshly in our wake, I know I’m in good company when I say that it was another genuinely wonderful Round the County. The course, the fleet, the location, the hospitality, even the occasionally frustrating conditions. Round the County just nails it, year in and year out.

For days leading up to Round the County weekend, and still in the wee hours of Saturday morning prior to the start, most of the smart money placed bets on an exceedingly light wind race — 0-6 knots on Saturday with perhaps slightly more on Sunday. It was forecast to be sunny, though, so things certainly could have looked worse. As the fleet of well over 100 boats motored to the start line, a 10-knot northerly greeted us in Rosario Strait. First: AWESOME, hope it holds. Second, BRRRRR, that is some seriously chilly wind. Mount Baker was on brilliant display, all your sailing pals were there, the breeze was twice as good as predicted — it was going to be a great day.

Round the County starts remain some of the busiest, most exciting affairs in PNW racing. They tend to be surprisingly civil, considering that there are approximately 40 boats of varying size and spanning several classes in each start; but it’s fair to say the chaos is a level up compared to what we’re accustomed to in this region.

Saturday’s start line felt especially long and offered two apparent courses of action — start on the east side (farther out in Rosario) for what looked like more breeze, or start on the other end closer to Lydia Shoal to begin down a ladder rung or two (or more, it was a really long line). As luck would have it, the breeze eventually compressed against the shore of Blakely Island,

leaving the low-road starters with a pretty significant advantage of both position and breeze. I was sailing with the TP52 Glory, and we were on the fortunate side of that exchange, charging south under our A1.5 kite with a big lead over our class as we chased down the fleets that had started before us.

So that was that, the leaders extended and won easily, end of story, right? HA! Sailing south in Rosario Strait, the breeze began to lighten more and more. The boats behind brought a little pressure with them, and after about 12 of the day’s 31 miles, there was a consolidation at Davidson Rock. Our lead that had felt like a mile was down to boat lengths as we made the turn westward. That’s where it got funky and incredibly light.

The islands giveth and the islands taketh away… breeze, that is. On this pretty November day, the islands gaveth, big time, and those golden shores were heavenly indeed. On Glory, we headed out after Davidson, hypothesizing that if a breath of the northerly was going to trickle down, it would be coming up and over the islands, and would be offshore. Instead, shore breeze and a current river gave the inside boats insane wheels by comparison. As Glory and several others bobbed around well south of the island, boat after boat saw the writing on the wall, and tacked into the beach and cruised on by. What breeze there was was hardly consistent, and there were sail changes aplenty both along shore and outside. By the time we were working past the half-way point at Iceberg Point, several of our competitors were pretty much out of sight around the corner of San Juan Island. Oof.

Long after our day’s hope for a good result had sailed into the distance, we finally connected a few patches of carpet enough to get to the beach, and we short tacked with everybody else in the most stunning Salish Sea sunset, finishing in the last of the daylight. We headed through Mosquito Pass to Roche Harbor to relish the weekend’s other type of fun, in spite of our challenging day from a racing perspective. Docking at Roche in the dusky blue light was as magical as ever with the amphitheater of historic buildings illuminated with decorative lights. Hot toddies at the dock numbed our disappointment, morale got a big lift, and an evening of good times ensued for all 700-some sailors.

Day two dawned just as cold and just as windy as Saturday. If you thought the starting area on Saturday was exciting, it was

even more so on Sunday — with shallows beyond the committee boat and some surprise kelp patties near the pin. The first classes powered up in a solid 10 knots of northerly, beating toward Stuart Island’s Turn Point. Round the County’s chase start leaves the fastest group of boats starting last. It turns out the final starters were a little over-eager, and had a general recall on our first attempt. By the second run at our sequence, the breeze had decreased slightly — a harbinger.

The beat to Turn Point could leave anyone feeling a little dizzy — so much current, and such big shifts. We cracked off to a shy reach believing we were fetching the point, before a shift left us working back close-hauled, eventually tacking in toward the shore. Finding the beneficial current was crucial as the breeze diminished in the point’s transition zone.

Once clear of Turn Point’s most tumultuous currents and very shifty breeze, the light air beat to Patos provided lots of opportunities to gain and lose. It seemed every patch of water was different, even when you were only a few boat lengths from another racer. We rubber-banded our way northeast. There seemed to be a slight advantage to the Pender/Saturna side, but the real differential didn’t show up until the northerly revealed itself once again coming down the Georgia Strait. Boats just a little too far on the San Juans side felt the pain, as the new pressure from the top left lit up boats on that side. Glory was on the fortunate receiving end of this, passing the Reichel/ Pugh 55, Zvi, and holding off the rest of the fleet to be the first boat to make the turn and hoist a kite after Patos.

On the long run southeast, pressure built then dwindled, and built once more. The fleet consolidated as it lightened, and TP 52 Smoke led everyone’s jibes inside after Matia Island finding breeze and current advantage the closer they got to Orcas. We all worked back out to clear Sisters, and quickly jibed back in on the approach to Lawrence Point in the best breeze of the weekend, which was pushing into the low teens.

For the leading ORC boats, a final jibe out cleared Lawrence Point, but the ensuing jibe toward the Peapods revealed that we’d have to work hard to get to the finish. We all reached up, with crews hiking harder than at any other time of the circumnavigation. Every light patch, “up, up up!” Every puff, we came down trying to keep the boat on its feet.

We carried the kite as far as we could until we hit the brick wall of swirly breeze just past the Peapods. The wind bent

westerly and dropped near nothing as we traded spinnakers for jibs and held our breath for a light air finish. Smoke and Mist tacked toward Orcas, while Glory and Zvi carried forward on the starboard tack we’d been sailing for some time. When the breeze went to zero, the current positioning showed Smoke and Mist to have made the right call. We focused hard, wringing every tenth of a knot out of our sails and hoping for steerage enough to avoid being swept past the line on the wrong side of the buoy. Just as our demise seemed inevitable, a light easterly came to play, allowing us enough maneuverability to sneak up and cross the line after Smoke and Mist, and before Zvi and the Canadian TP 52, The Shadow II. I can’t say I love the Round the County finish, but it sure does make things interesting; and is in good company with the challenging finishing locations of races like Swiftsure and Southern Straits.

Having been so involved in the antics within our own group of 50-footers, I was surprised to look around and discover that lots of other boats were right on our heels. Shadow II finished close enough behind us to correct above us again and finish the weekend as the top performing 52. But nobody in the ORC class could touch Peter Salusbury’s Riptide 35, Longboard. They finished the weekend correcting almost a half-hour ahead of the second place boat, and a stunning 3+ hours on corrected time ahead of a number of others in the class, including Glory. Hats off Longboard, Shadow, and everybody.

Around the fleet, division wins went to Dougie Barlow’s F28R Aliikai; Riptide 35, Longboard skippered by Peter Salusbury; Iain Christenson’s Farr 36, Annapurna; the Lanzingers on J/111 Hooligan; John Peterson’s J/109 Legacy; the Hoag and Peterson crew on Hobie 33 Tc; the Portland-based J/105 Free Bowl of Soup sailed by Schenk and Hopper; Jason Hofman and Ty Abrams’ Davidson 29 Kodiak; and Ian Sprenger’s Santa Cruz 27 Wilder.

Another Round the County is in the books, and I’ll remember this one as among my favorite Round the County weekends, and hopefully my worst Round the County result. Enormous thank yous to the skippers and crews whose effort to attend makes this event so special. And thanks, as always, to the gracious hosts who give us the opportunity for the region’s favorite fall racing get together.

Photos courtesy of Jan Anderson

Sailing clean and fast and winning a competitive class, Farr 36 Annapurna puts in a jibe in Rosario Strait.

In a typically hectic Round the County start, J/111 Hooligan gets away clean on their path to a class win.

‘91 SCHOCK 35 SAILBOAT

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1978 NORTH SEA 34 PILOTHOUSE

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28' WOOD FRIENDSHIP SLOOP FOR SALE

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BOATS FOR SALE

ALBERG 37 SLOOP

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28

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Terrific boat for sailing the San Juans! 36 FT/10 ft beam. Solid Teak hull/ribs. Full keel draws 4’10”. 225 hrs on Universal 35B diesel/prop/shaft. New standing/running rigging-Lewmar mast winches/ Wallas Diesel stove/heater-all in 8/2018. New Bronze ST main winches! Dinghy w/new Honda. Owned since 2000. Well cared for/easy sailing/ maintenance! Looking for a bigger boat! Consider partial trade. » Contact Gregory Dunlap • (503) 804-6366 • GDunlap@DiamondGroupPro.com • $29,500

BOB PERRY RELIANCE 37

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C&C

33

SAILBOAT FOR SALE

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FOR JEANNEAU 45.9

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1985 CLASSIC GAFF RIGGED SCHOONER

WILHELM H. STARCK

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