June 2023 48° North - Digital

L a P a z , M e x i c o

T a k e t h e n e x t s t e p i n y o u r s a i l i n g a d v e n t u r e s w i t h o u r C r u i s e N L e a r n ( A S A 1 0 3 + A S A 1 0 4 c o m b o ) o r A S A 1 0 4 B a r e b o a t C h a r t e r i n g s a i l i n g l e s s o n s i n L a P a z , M e x i c o ! E s c a p e t h e r a i n a n d c o l d t h i s w i n t e r o n t h e s e f u l l i m m e r s i o n c o u r s e s o n t h e S e a o f C o r t e z !

A n a c o r t e s , W A

S a i l t h e g o r g e o u s S a n J u a n I s l a n d s o n o u r l i v e a b o a r d A S A 1 0 4 B a r e b o a t C h a r t e r i n g c l a s s ! T a k e y o u r s k i l l s t o t h e n e x t l e v e l a n d g e t c e r t i f i e d t o s k i p p e r b o a t s u p t o 4 5 f e e t !

S e a t t l e , W A

L o c a t e d i n S h i l s h o l e M a r i n a , o u r d o c k s f a c e t h e g o r g e o u s O l y m p i c m o u n t a i n r a n g e . W e o f f e r l e s s o n s f o r a l l s a i l o r s , f r o m b e g i n n e r s t o e x p e r t s . C o m e v i s i t u s t o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t c l a s s e s a n d m e m b e r s h i p , o r b r o w s e o u r P r o S h o p !

VANG-MASTER MEET

Rigid Pneumatic Boom Vangs from Harken

• Yes, air to hold booms up.

• Yes, precise adjustment.

• Yes, external purchase systems with line pre-measured and spliced to all Harken hardware.

• But, sorry, no fluid to leak or springs to squeak.

Harken Vang-Masters come in four cylinder diameters, with Harken tech support and spare parts. There’s a menu of 120+ build lengths for everything from Moore 24s to Andrews70s to compare with your own pin-to-pin measurement. Replacing aging vangs is easier now. We’re pumped!

For the complete line of Harken Vang-Master sailing hardware please visit fisheriessupply.com/harken-vang-master

CONTENTS

FEATURES

26 Behind the Boom: PNW J/70 Fleet Growth

Rapid one-design growth, driven by coaching and community.

By Joe Cline

30 Mischief Around Vancouver Island, Part 1

Savvy cruisers’ first experience of the wild west side.

By Michael Boyd

34 Lessons Learned Off Point No Point

Local sailors discover that this notorious tide rip is no joke.

By Mike Smith

COLUMNS

20

Close to the Water: Stitch and Glue

A small boat adventurer reluctantly builds his own dinghy.

By Bruce Bateau

22 Paddle Path: Collaborating with Mother Nature

An April paddle clinic requires flexibility, but offers so much.

By Erica Lichty

24 Shifting Gears: Bliss Before Some Hiccups

Phase one of the inaugural summer cruise on the C-Dory SeaLab.

By Dennis Bottemiller

RACING

39 Beating the Odds: East Sound Spring Regatta

Racing in the islands is a bet that always pays off.

40 I’ll Say It... The Best Vashon Island Race EVER

Tremendous conditions for the summertime circumnavigation.

42 The Red Ruby Project: Spi Ouest Regatta

A PNW pair learn a lot and have a blast in a big French fleet.

44 Race to the Straits

Strong tides and light breeze for the doublehanded classic.

45 Lido 14 District Champs at “Turtle Regatta”

Willamette Sailing Club hosts a good time for a great fleet.

ON THE COVER: Puff on! Charles Hill’s Wauqiez Centurion 40s, Different Drummer , charges downwind in a fresh breeze on their way to a class win during Seattle Yacht Club’s Vashon Island Race. Photo by Jan Anderson.

Background photo courtesy of Jan Anderson.

INVESTMENT RETURNS

Sailboat racing can be so stinkin’ fun and rewarding, something that affords extraordinary community. Of course, I know that lots of folks don’t share this opinion. They’ve had experiences that contradict those and any other potentially positive aspects of the pursuit. Perhaps they’ve hopped aboard only to be yelled at or condescended to; registered the racing environment as too competitive or cutthroat for a leisure-time activity; or ran up against a fellow sailor spending ten times more money on their boat and program than anybody else in the fleet, undermining other sailors’ will or ability to sail on the same level. I could go on.

As an unabashed racing fan, I have certainly had tastes of the bitter and the sweet. Yet, when I think about the times sailboat racing has felt best to me, on a human level, the recipe for super-positive experiences has had many of the ingredients I heard when I recently talked to the coach who is at the center of so much of our region’s sudden and impressive J/70 fleet growth, Ron Rosenberg (for lots more about what’s behind this boom, check out the article on page 26).

If you cut to the core of what Ron and the J/70 fleet are building in the Pacific Northwest, they are very focused on developing a community culture centered on investing in the positive experience of their fellow racers. I strive to be a community-minded individual, but it is still striking to me how little I had thought about this idea in quite those terms. It might read as dissonant with some elements of racing — for example, the idea that there can only be one winner. On the other hand, I've definitely felt this vibe in certain fleet or boats over the years, and those are happy memories.

Zooming out, it is so apt and intuitive as to approach the obvious. Racing is a game that can only happen when others want to come play. Our reasons to be out there don’t have to be identical, but if we don’t come back to the dock with smiles on our faces, there’s a good chance we won’t all be back out there next week. Moreover, investing in the positive experiences of other sailors is like adding a bit of fertilizer to the tender sprouts of new skills and knowledge, which is so critical to any fleet headed in the right direction. There is always something new to learn on the water, but in my experience the game of sailboat racing, particularly, only gets more fascinating the deeper you go. Cultivating an environment in which we ensure our would-be competitors have fun and get better encourages new players to join, while providing those already involved with the opportunity for ever-increasing fun and progression themselves. This is virtuous circle stuff of the highest order.

This mindset appealed to me immediately, and reverberated beyond the racecourse. Think about your dearest, most influential boat pals and mentors. Didn’t they convince you that their primary interest was you and your experience? And weren’t the returns amazing for you, and for them? Often, this dynamic is so natural nobody is aware of it — you just click with a dock mate, a newfound buddy-boat, or a friend at the pub or club, and a few years later, you’re together on an ocean passage, trusting each other with your lives as daydreams become reality. I believe all boaters know how important these community investments are — in their many forms — and could benefit from committing to them even more enthusiastically.

On the race course, in a remote anchorage, or in your cruising club, just about the best thing you can do to improve your own experience on the water is to invest in the positive experience of those with whom you’ll share it. The more we invest, the richer we get.

I’ll see you on the water, Joe Cline

Managing Editor, 48° North

Volume XLII, Number 11, JUNE 2023 (206) 789-7350 info@48north.com | www.48north.com

Publisher Northwest Maritime Center

Managing Editor Joe Cline joe@48north.com

Editor Andy Cross andy@48north.com

Designer Rainier Powers rainier@48north.com

Advertising Sales Kachele Yelaca kachele@48north.com

Classifieds classads48@48north.com

Photographer Jan Anderson

48° North is published as a project of the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery.

Northwest Maritime Center: 431 Water St, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 385-3628

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Embrace the Journey

THE PARTIES ARE BACK!

"Race

in Anacortes

Spencer Kunath, Navigator TP52 Glory

Photos by Jan Anderson

All the Power You Need

LETTERS 10

Response to Blakely Rock Crew Overboard Coverage

To the Editor:

Your story about the crew overboard rescue challenges during the Blakey Rock Race was frightening, but it left me concerned: how many sailors carry a LifeSling without being trained in its proper use?

My father-in-law, the late Richard Marshall, was a member of the The Sailing Foundation’s Safety at Sea Committee that developed the LifeSling. At his urging, I took an onthe-water class many years ago, offered by Corinthian Yacht Club, with a very patient swimmer waiting while eight of us took a turn at the tiller, trying to get him on board. It wasn’t easy on a calm day, so the conditions on race day must have been terrifying.

Some of the instructions for using the LifeSling not only contradict the actions taken by some onboard crew, but also the “lessons learned” section of the article.

The LifeSling was not designed to be a throwable device. We were taught to deploy the LifeSling immediately, with its full length of line trailing the boat. As we circled the COB the LifeSling traced a spiral, working its way to the COB without much effort. It’s best not to use the engine, as this risks fouling the LifeSling line in the prop.

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As your article mentions, pulling the COB toward the boat too quickly risks drowning them.

Also indicated in the article, it is nearly impossible for anyone onboard, no matter how strong, to pull a COB completely out of the water. For this reason it’s critical to have a block-and-tackle (3:1) dedicated to COB use. This is attached to a halyard as soon as possible. The bridle of the LifeSling should be long enough to reach a cleat without lifting the COB. Once the COB is attached to the boat, attach the bridle to the tackle, and use a winch to lift the COB high enough to lower them onto the deck.

I don’t intend to demean the valiant efforts of multiple crews to rescue the lost crew, only to emphasize that the LifeSling, like any other piece of gear, has its proper use, which must be practiced. Thank goodness this story ended happily.

Robert Drucker

Response to Lizzy Grim’s “Life Lessons and Halfway ‘Round”

Eric Rouzee: My favorite line: “Going full redhead...” Well done, Lizzy! Awesome sail and awesome read.

Greg Jarvis: That was an excellent read.

Ginger Virginia McMillan: The worst trait from a person when sailing is this one you talked about: “Several sailors clearly had the attitude that it was ‘their’ boat.” If they can’t be team members, they are just not fun to be around. So happy you got to do this and are here now telling us the story.

Engineered to be Serviced Easily!

Model Shown Beta 38

News from the Northwest Maritime Center >>

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

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

AN INTERVIEW WITH NWMC BOATSHOP BOAT BUILDING STUDENT, CINDY BROOKS

How did you hear about NWMC Boat Building classes and what motivated you to give it a try?

I became aware of the NWMC through the Wooden Boat Festival. I'd always wanted to build a boat and hadn't gotten around to it. When I moved to Port Townsend, I had enough vacation time to take the nine-day class, and it seemed like the perfect thing to do to be a part of the Port Townsend experience. I wanted Joel Arrington's supervision to do it well.

I built the Expedition Wherry because I wanted to learn how to row, and I could join the Rat Island Rowing group. As it happened, I learned about the Seventy48 race during the class, and wound up doing that a few months later. Did you have relevant boat building or woodworking skills?

I did part of a carpentry apprenticeship many years ago. But that taught me to understand plumb and level, and how to use a saw. I didn't understand curves, which added an air of mystery. I had a couple of loaner Merry Wherries, which were not fair and rowed asymmetrically. My repeated inquiries, "Is it fair? Is it fair?" became a humorous part of my friendship with Joel. With a stitch and glue kit, the pieces are cut out and predrilled. Aligning everything with the mold and using wires to assemble the parts was very different from anything I'd done.

Can you describe the class experience?

Joel was awesome. Everything he outlined for us was accurate and thought-through in advance. He was good at presenting the

EVENTS CALENDAR » www.nwmaritime.org/events

CLASSIC MARINERS' REGATTA

June 3-4

Port Townsend Bay

RADAR, COLLISION AVOIDANCE, AND NIGHT NAVIGATION

June 13-14

Online Class

FOLLOW RACE TO ALASKA AND SEVENTY48!

The races will soon be on! Seventy48 begins in Tacoma on Friday, June 2; and R2AK begins in Port Townsend on Monday, June 5! Each race will have a tracker and loads of fun content!

» seventy48.com | r2ak.com

big picture and the specific task.

I appreciated hanging out at the boatshop and meeting other members of the community. I met the guy down the street who does sail repair, and he taught me how to do some hand sewing. I met riggers. It showed me that I don't need to know everything about boats, but I need to be around people who know stuff. How are you using your boat now?

I often row on Port Townsend Bay before work, or on weekends with friends. There was another woman in the class with me. Her sister visited during the class, caught the bug, and built her own boat with another class. Now the three of us go rowing together.

I've taken a few trips in the San Juans. I drove up to Anacortes and put in, and went out around Cypress and up around Clark and Barnes. I'll focus on weekend camping trips this summer. What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking a boat building class at NWMC?

I would say do it! Don't second-guess yourself. Prepare to have fun and make friends. I didn't realize was how much sanding there was to do once the boat actually looks like a boat. I think it took me five-times as long to finish it than it did to build it.

Having Seventy48 as a possibility and goal as I built the boat really elevated the experience. It seemed ridiculous, but then you have a viable boat and you need to learn how to use it anyway. One thing leads to another, and I did it and survived it, and I would do it again. There are few ways in this life where we really get to test ourselves, with anachronistic knowledge and skill sets, and I think this is one of them.

» nwmaritime.org/programs/adult-programs/boatshop-classes

YE OLDE SHIPWRIGHT'S TOOLS

July 8

NWMC Boatshop

WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL

September 8-10

Northwest Maritime Center

NORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER'S NAVIGATOR NIGHT OUT

Navigator Night Out is a fundraiser to celebrate community and connect youth with transformative maritime experiences. It's July 21 at 5:30 p.m. on the First Fed Commons at NWMC.

» nwmaritime.org/nav-night-out for tickets and more info.

low tides » News & Events

CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION BELL HARBOR RENDEZVOUS JUNE 17-18

A SEATTLE TRADITION RETURNS TO THE CITY CENTER TO CELEBRATE THE REGION’S CLASSIC YACHTS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM.

For anyone interested in or devoted to classic boats and yachts, the Pacific Northwest offers many options to get together, check out these amazing vessels, and to share information and enthusiasm about them. One of the central events, in both location and importance, is the local Classic Yacht Association’s Rendezvous at the Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina. Whether you’ve been attending for years, or you might check it out for the first time, it’s a wonderful event for boat folk of every stripe. You might even find your next boat there.

HERE’S THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE ORGANIZERS:

The Pacific Northwest Fleet of the Classic Yacht Association is pleased to announce the 26th Annual Bell Harbor Rendezvous, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18, 2023, at Bell Harbor Marina. The marina is located at Pier 66, 2203 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Washington. The show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The Bell Harbor Rendezvous is sponsored by the Classic Yacht Association, a non-profit organization with more than a halfcentury of history that works through their members to promote, preserve, and restore vintage motor yachts and honor their maritime history and traditions while encouraging their use for recreation and education.

40th ANNIVERSARY J/FEST REGATTA

Originally started in 1983, J/Fest is a two-day regatta hosted by CYC Seattle that will take place on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 on the waters of Puget Sound off Shilshole Bay and Meadow Point. J/Fest has been great way for owners, crew, and fans of J/Boats to share the water, enjoy themselves, and relish some great racing; and this 40th-anniversary event may be the best yet!

Since J/Boats range in size and style, there will be some one-design classes as well as handicap racing and a cruising class(es). Race courses will typically be windward/leeward and may include gates, offsets, and jibe marks. Four races or more are planned for each day and the target race duration is 40 to 60 minutes. Fans and spectators are welcome to socialize at the CYC Clubhouse where the bar will be open at 5:30 p.m. each day.

» cycseattle.org/event-5281701

Show admission is free to the public and many of the boats are open for free public tours. Visitors can expect to see up to 45 vintage and classic motor yachts on display.

Diane E. Lander, Bell Harbor Rendezvous Chair, Classic Yacht Association. Contact Diane with any questions: dianelander@outlook.com

RACE WEEK RETURNS TO ANACORTES IN JUNE

Sailors, racers, pals, and party-people rejoice — Race Week is less than one month away. Returning to the idyllic surroundings of Anacortes for 2023, Race Week is on from June 26-30.

Race Week in Anacortes is a wonderful blend of the new and the traditional, with its familiar format in a new venue. Fans of the event can plan for a couple of extra doses of the traditional Race Week experience this summer. First, the well-loved post-race parties will return for the first time since the event moved to Anacortes in 2021 — live music, costume themes, and all! And second, long-tenured Race Week PRO, Charley Rathkopf, is set to re-take the helm of the race committee for this summer’s regatta.

New this year will be the first annual Race Week Anacortes Film Festival starring you and your crew. Submit by June 20!

» raceweekpnw.com

WHIDBEY SUMMER CLASSIC, JULY 28-30

Hosted by Oak Harbor Yacht Club, the Whidbey Summer Classic welcomes sailors for some summertime fun in Penn Cove. Part of the North Sound Party Circuit, the event promises to provide great racing and equally good post-race shindigs. Whidbey Island's Penn Cove is known throughout the Salish Sea as a premier sailing destination, hosting world class regattas.

The event organizers want to assure you that there's enough water in the marina for nearly all boats to join. According to Oak Harbor Marina Harbormaster, Chris Sublet, there is and has always been enough water to operate the marina at low tides. "In January 2023, the marina was surveyed as part of the start of a new dredge project. The guest slips, that will host... racers, is currently a -10 through -12. [At a -2 tide,] the shallowest slip will have 8’ of water in it."

» whidbeyclassic.com

low tides » In the Biz

THE SAILING FOUNDATION APPOINTS NEW YOUTH SAILING DIRECTOR

An extensive search process to hire a new Youth Sailing Director at Seattle's The Sailing Foundation yielded over a dozen applicants. This impressive group included domestic and international candidates with a diverse range of sailing, coaching, and non-profit management experience. After a rigorous interview and screening process, Solvig Sayre emerged as the clear frontrunner. She has accepted the offer and will officially join the Sailing Foundation team on June 1, 2023. (Editor’s note: I think of the position of Youth Sailing Director as the ambassador for youth sailing in the Pacific Northwest — a coach, consiglieri, facilitator, and connector whose primary goal is to support all programs and grow participation and performance of youth sailing around the region.)

Solvig (pronounced Solvay) inherited her love for sailing and wind sports from her mother and father, who are both accomplished sailors and windsurfers.

Growing up on Martha’s Vineyard, Solvig followed “traditional” junior sailing pathways. Solvig’s talent and potential didn’t go unnoticed, and she was invited to train with the US Sailing Team in the women’s RS:X windsurfer while still in high school. After graduating, Solvig enrolled at Eckerd College in Florida, where she continued to train in the RS:X and compete as a varsity skipper on the Women’s Team. After campaigning in the RS:X for two quads, Solvig teamed up with Bora Gulari for a Nacra 17 campaign in 2015, but that was cut short due to injury.

Following her Olympic pursuits, Solvig switched her focus to giving back to the sport. Since 2017, Solvig has held various coaching positions at American Yacht Club (Rye, NY), Texas Corinthian Yacht Club (Houston, TX), Treasure Island Sailing Center (San Francisco), and most recently, St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC). Solvig has also been recruited by US Sailing as a coach for US Sailing sponsored clinics throughout the country.

Solvig has been involved at every level of youth sailing — participant, instructor, athlete, race coach, and director. She’s worked for grassroots community organizations and elite yacht club programs. Her perspective, expertise, and enthusiasm will be a great asset to sailing in the Pacific Northwest.

As the new Youth Sailing Director, Solvig will be the leader of all things youth sailing in the Pacific Northwest. She’ll be looked to by sailors, parents, coaches, and program directors as an invaluable resource while navigating the evolving world of youth sailing. The Sailing Foundation is thrilled to welcome her aboard and looks forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on the organization and the greater sailing community.

» thesailingfoundation.org/

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low tides » Products News

» KARVER KJSK STAYSAIL KIT

Having an easy-to-rig staysail, heavy weather jib, or storm jib can be a necessary piece of gear on many cruising sailboats. But traditional stainless steel stays can be difficult to rig in rough seas and are inconvenient to store when not in use. Karver made the job a whole lot easier with their KJSK Staysail Kits, designed for use with furling sails that incorporate their own integral forestay. The system’s jammer fitting can be fixed to a sailboat’s foredeck with a metal fastening or high-tech lashing. You can then tighten the stay on a winch and, once sufficiently taught, the built-in cleat allows the line to be taken off the winch and put out of the way. The jammer is compatible with any 3:1 furling unit that you choose. When the sail and stay are not in use, it can be put in a bag and stowed down below or in a locker.

Price: $2,300 » www.Karver-Systems.com

STANDARD HORIZON HX320 VHF RADIO

Having a reliable handheld VHF radio is a must aboard vessels ranging from kayaks and dinghies to large sail and power boats. Standard Horizon’s new HX320 handheld is engineered to be rugged and reliable for use in any salt or fresh water environment. The HX320 is designed to float and fight against water intrusion with the highly recognized IPX7 waterproofing standard (3.3ft/1M for 30 minutes). It is equipped with a USB Type-C charging jack and comes with the USB charging cable and USB-AC adapter to quickly and easily charge the radio from virtually anywhere. In the event that theHX320 is accidentally dropped overboard, it can easily be retrieved with the highly visible water-activated strobe light, which is automatically enabled when the radio is submerged even if the device is powered off. Especially appealing for shorthanded boaters, the HX320 also has built in bluetooth technology, allowing it to be operated hands free using the optional Bluetooth headset model SSM-BT10.

Price: $149.00 » www.StandardHorizon.com

» STOHLQUIST DESCENT LIFE JACKET

Whether you’re running rapids or racing sailboats, the new Descent life jacket by Stohlquist is a comfortable, low-profile vest that incorporates all the features necessary for a variety of watersports. Stohlquist’s “Wrapture” torso provides a secure fit without the tight and restrictive feeling of conventional flat-foam PFD construction. The Descent’s ergonomic shape utilizes reverse articulated foam and convex interior seams to follow the natural shape of the body and provide a close, low profile fit. The innovative Cross-Chest Cinch Harness, found only on Stohlquist PFDs, keeps the vest down and in place, to eliminate ride-up. The “cinch” prevents chafing on your chin and underarms. The vest also features a Gripp-Loc non-slip interior surface; suspended, self-tensioning, armored straps; and Nail-Cloth textured shoulders for added protection.

Price: $299.99 » www.Stohlquist.com

CROSSWORD AND TRIVIA

DID YOU KNOW?

by Bryan Henry

The word peninsula has two Latin roots: paene, meaning almost, and insula, meaning island. So a peninsula is “almost an island.”

A waft, meaning to float or drift, as in the aroma of coffee wafting through the air, comes from the word wafter, an escort ship that convoyed other ships safely to port.

The word gulf goes back to the Greek kolpos, meaning bay. Today a gulf and a bay are still the same thing, an area of ocean partially enclosed by land, but we call the largest bays gulfs.

The word govern comes from the Latin gubernare, to steer a ship. A maxim dating back to ancient Greece holds that those who govern “steer the ship of state.”

The word harbor is closely related to Old French herberge, or shelter, and is based on the Old English herebeorg, “refuge for an army.”

The word inundate, as in floodwaters inundated the city, comes from the Latin in- (on) plus unda (wave), so the word means literally “to cover by a wave.”

An armada, meaning a fleet, flotilla, or navy is a Spanish word meaning armed force — as in the “Invincible Armada,” the ill-fated fleet of 130 ships sent against England in 1588 by Philip II of Spain.

The word arsenal comes from Arabic dar al sina’ ah. Early arsenals were workshops for making ships and arms. The word entered English about 1500 from the name of the great Venetian navy yard, the Arzana, where visitors could see great quantities of ships and ships’ stores.

Brackish comes from the Dutch word brak, meaning salty.

In its logbook sense, the word log has been traced back to Arabic laug, meaning tablet.

Marine comes from the Latin marinus, sailor, from the Latin mare, sea, which also gives us mariner, maritime and marinate (to pickle in salt water).

PREMIUM 48° NORTH SUBSCRIPTION

Become a part of the 48° North crew! In addition to your magazine each month, with this exciting new subscription offering, you’ll also be supporting 48° North in a more meaningful way. But, warmed cockles are far from the only benefit. Others include:

• Discounts at Fisheries Supply Co.

• One free three-day to the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival ($40 value)

• 10% off of Northwest Maritime Center classes, excluding Sailing Club

• Discounts on registration fees for events

• Cool bumper sticker and decals.

• $75/year (additional fees for First Class forwarding or International)

JUST THE MAGAZINE, PLEASE: Our standard subscription gets you 12 months of 48° North and its associated special publications (SARC, Setting Sail, and the Official R2AK Program).

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Over 25 Years”

by Bruce Bateau

STITCH & GLUE

projects, providing me with all the skills required in that department.

Yes, I could probably build a little dinghy. The difficulty came in setting my mind to do it. Why use precious time sawing when I could be out adventuring? What if I started and never finished? Wouldn’t it be better to leave the hard work to some tinkerer who was better at it — and actually enjoyed it? Kate, who believed I had too much on my plate already, heartily endorsed this position.

Nevertheless, I continued exploring the possibilities, evaluating designs ranging from a willow-bough coracle to a wheelbarrow-like plywood dinghy with an integrated wheel in the bow that used oars as the “handles” to push it overland. In the end, I favored an 8-foot plywood pram sold as a kit from a local outfit. When they announced a holiday sale, I jumped at the opportunity to make the purchase. Not only would I get exactly what I wanted, but now there would be no backing out.

I’m going to start building a wooden boat this weekend,” I told a colleague one Friday last December. It was casual workplace chit-chat, but deep inside I felt like a fraud. I’m an avid sailor and routine maintenance guy, but I’ve never been infected with the desire to construct a boat — in this case, a dinghy. Instead, I’ve always followed my mentor Tim’s advice: “Build for buildings sake; otherwise, buy what you need and make it your own.”

This mantra worked well for me until last summer when my wife, Kate, joined me aboard Luna, our 19-foot catboat, for her first extended cruise. Admittedly, cruising in Luna is more like camping in a Volkswagen bus than sleeping on a yacht, but the boat meets our values of living small and has a charming lapstrake hull. The “dinghy” we brought along, however, was the opposite of charming: a neonorange plastic sit-on-top kayak, it was

unsinkable, but a wet ride and decidedly un-salty. Maybe, Kate suggested, for the next cruise we should find a proper dinghy?

My challenge? I couldn’t find what I wanted in the classifieds: an ultralight, tiny dinghy suitable for our diminutive cruiser. I yearned for a design that was cute, docile, functional for two adults, and wouldn’t easily slip beneath the waves if swamped. It seemed absurd to pay someone to build such a small boat for us, yet I possessed neither the desire nor the skills to construct one… or so I told myself.

Still, the idea nagged at me. One night at dinner, I unexpectedly found myself making the case to Kate for my own expertise. I’d cut wood many times, and used fiberglass and epoxy to repair and reinforce. And, decades of home and boat ownership had required an endless stream of painting and varnishing

A few weeks later, a 7-foot-long crate arrived on my porch. I hauled the raw components of my dinghy to the centuryold garage of my friend Dennis, which he had kindly offered as a workspace, along with himself as building partner.

We unpacked the crate, inspecting each pre-cut piece, turning them around, and trying to determine where exactly each was supposed to go. I was reminded of the balsa wood model airplane kits I put together as a kid; only with this vessel, I would actually be able to climb aboard and sail away (or at least to shore).

The construction involved a stitch and glue technique. We would “stitch” the dinghy’s pieces together with zip ties, at least 150 of them. Next, we’d carefully apply glue in the form of epoxy to each seam. Then we would remove those legions of zip ties. Over the following weeks, layers of epoxy and fiberglass would be applied to strengthen the seams.

By the third session, the long pieces of flimsy plywood we’d pulled from

WHEN THE NEED FOR A NEW DINGHY ARISES, A RELUCTANT BOAT BUILDER GOES TO WORK

that crate had started to resemble a boat-shaped object, albeit one with innumerable tiny holes and gaps between the planks. Still, it was exciting to see the shape and length emerge.

By the fourth session, a rhythm had been established. Dennis enjoyed pumping and mixing the epoxy and improvising or trying out new techniques. I was keen to follow the building manual to a T, while also appreciating his enthusiasm. When we finally began filling those legions of holes, we entered a trance-like state. I took the lead, dabbing thickened epoxy into each opening and crack, working in a fashion that I hoped was thorough and methodical. Dennis followed behind, cleaning up the overflows. It felt like performing nautical yoga: bend, reach, dip, fill, shift. We circled the boat over and over, each time finding holes we’d missed. A second batch of epoxy was stirred up and we repeated our strange exercise until no openings remained.

As with any project, problems popped up. We ran out of epoxy; the plans weren’t perfect, so we guessed about a few steps; the fiberglass turned out lumpy; and a few small mistakes meant work had to be undone. Yet despite these setbacks, I came to value the story, the intimacy of truly knowing this boat. I had touched every surface; I knew which parts were perfect, and which ones had been enhanced with a hidden fillet, or sanded into submission.

As the final pieces came together, each problem solved or decision made provided a greater sense of ownership in the dinghy. Whether adding inspection ports, deviating from the plans in our construction methods, or selecting a custom paint scheme, this constellation of actions and choices made the dinghy feel like something I had actually created, not simply constructed from a kit. As I looked at the nearly finished boat, I realized that, while I hadn’t built for building’s sake, I had made something that was truly my own. All it needs now is some paint, and then I can start on the oars.

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

was a long but necessary process.

Placing 150 zip ties to “stitch” the dinghy pieces together

The author (left) and friend Dennis show off their handiwork.

The orange plastic kayak towed behind Luna needed a suitable replacement.

COLLABORATING WITH MOTHER NATURE

by Erica Lichty

Between my upbringing and the path that has led me to advocating for waterpeople, I am adaptable and accustomed to pivoting. So, when Sarah Craig from the environmental organization Trash Tramp Inc. and I put our heads together to create a two-day Adventure Paddle Clinic that focused on prep for the Seventy48 race — which we’ve both completed — we kept in mind the old adage, ”The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

We knew Mother Nature was a collaborator but we also knew her role in our clinic would be a mystery until approximately 72 hours before the event. We kept our fingers crossed that we would not be faced with the difficult scenario of a small craft advisory during the weekend of April 15-16.

The plan was to have all guests arrive at the Southworth Ferry Dock just south of Blake Island and paddle approximately 12 miles to Lemolo near Poulsbo. Once there, we would store our boats on a secluded beach at a friend’s private residence and begin the suggested schedule of race tactics, safety, fuel, apparel, and chart work. Afterwards, we’d do a beach clean-up and Sarah would offer an environmental talk. We envisioned ourselves sharing a meal by the fire on the beach and then

meandering out to the MV Badger, a friend’s 70-foot converted Canadian Navy vessel, to slip into our bunks and be rocked gently to sleep in the bay. The next day, we would complete our circumnavigation of Bainbridge Island going clockwise through Agate passage and end the retreat with a nice 20 mile stretch back to the ferry dock. Mother Nature said… nope.

As the weekend approached, the forecast called for southerly gusts to 30 knots. Super fun for a downwind session, but not as good for a circumnavigation. After deliberation, we concluded that having all guests meet in Lemolo at the residence first thing Saturday morning was the best option. We adjusted the retreat plan to entail two northbound legs. The guest list included two stand-up paddlers, two OC-1 (outrigger canoe) paddlers, and a kayaker; all of whom are entered in this year’s Seventy48, as well as an additional OC-1 paddler who is contemplating racing in 2024.

We met on a misty morning and made our introductions. After assembling our gear, we started our shuttle — Mother Nature is on a schedule. With mixed boats comes a mixed bag of transportation issues. We “strategized” and ferried humans and cars to our destination at the Kingston Ferry Terminal,

Studying charts and planning for Sunday.

Paddling under the bridge at Agate Passage.

Heading out to MV Badger for the night.

All photos by Douglas Fir Photography.

a 12 mile paddle through Agate Pass. I wasn’t going to give that one up. I have been wanting to paddle through there for a while.

Paddles were in the water by midday and we had the breeze and the current on our side, or backs rather. Douglas Ludwig, photographer and owner of Badger, met us as we passed under the bridge at Agate. The bright colors of the various humanpowered vessels popped against the steely water and sky. We hung a left coming out of Port Madison Bay and enjoyed a gentle downwind ride all the way to the haul out. When paddling downwind, there can be periods where the waves and wind moderate to a mellow, predictable pattern. I call it prairie grass, it’s like gliding on hypnotic velvet, and we had some lovely prairie grass during this stretch.

Many Pacific Northwest boaters know it well, but the boat launch at Kingston Marina is a perfect spot. Public restrooms and ample parking easily accommodates large groups. After our uneventful and scenic paddle, we looked forward to some soup and a warm fire (pivoting indoors from the beach fire plan due to rain). Our gracious hosts in Lemolo welcomed us, and we sat in an intimate group in the living room overlooking the bay, fire crackling, filling our bellies, and sharing stories. This is the best part for me — the ignition of friendships as connections deepen and contact info is exchanged to accommodate exciting new plans inspired by a wonderful day together.

As Sarah and I began our planned discussions about community and environment, the engagement grew. It does not surprise me anymore what kinds of conversations come out of these events. We reflected on equality in the maritime industry, in sports, and in our own families; and the ways our on-the-water aspirations intertwine with what we put in our bodies and our hearts. These are not only athletes and adventurous humans , but holistic waterpeople who see the interconnectedness of the things we love and the ongoing need for advocacy.

As the sun set, we put on our galoshes and portaged our belongings from the watery depths of our conversation out to our comfortable accommodations aboard Badger. Once on board, we looked over charts and collectively came up with a plan for the next day. The winds were to intensify on Sunday. Again, it was looking like a downwinder and, since we had guests from Vancouver, British Columbia and Hood River, Oregon, we could not wait for optimum wind. We had to put in early at Kingston to hit tides that would allow us around Point No Point to reach Hansville before the switch.

Sarah and I woke up at 4 a.m. to start the coffee, Douglas prepared a scramble, and we started the dinghy train out to the

beach. With all of these moving parts, I was impressed at how everyone worked to keep on schedule. I wanted blades in the water at 8 a.m. in Kingston. No sweat. Again, we did the shuttle game, this time to the haul out at Hansville.

Then, into the water we went. As we came out of the marina, we saw that the ferry was gearing up to depart. The schedule said it should be off by then, but it was a bit behind. We decided to not take our chances but to wait until it was safely on its way.

I was excited to take the group on this section of the race course. For me, it feels like the “big turn” towards the homestretch. Paddling towards Point No Point is paddling towards the possibility of actually completing a 70-mile race, one that seems so daunting in those first few miles out of Tacoma. Of course, a bonus is that it is also a beautiful patch of water. I always manage to have a moment with a sea eagle around there, and have decided they must be gatekeepers of sorts. From the perspective of a stand up paddler, the seafloor mesmerizes you as you fly along, too — starfish, crab, and the like. Thankfully, the worst weather waited for us. Every once in a while, I would look over my shoulder and see the dark water line getting closer and the black clouds tripping over themselves as they headed our way. We kept just ahead of it the whole time.

As expected, everyone was struck by the beauty of Point No Point and Hansville. White sandy beaches, sea otters, seals, and the confluence of various current patterns signal the literal and figurative turning point. As we hauled our boats out, the wind hit us. We quickly got out of our wet clothes, and bundled up to load our gear. With another great 12-mile paddle under our belts, we debriefed over burgers at Hansgrill Hansville Grocery and Provisions Co.

Sometimes, the memorable adventures are the ones where the sun shone on your face, wind and water synchronized to align with your agenda, and beach bonfires blazed with stories. Other times, like this amazing weekend in April, adventures bring a group together to analyze real time scenarios, be flexible, and collaborate with each other and the conditions. We had to keep one another safe and offer warmth, support, and sustenance. We will remember the cold fingertips and the frosty breath, sure, but the appreciation of the accomplishment, bravery, and the warm cup in your hands afterwards is the real story. I cherish these waters, the activity of paddling, and this community more than I can put into words.

Erica Lichty is the founder of the SEASTR, a non-profit that promotes women who adventure in the Pacific Northwest. She is also the Education Coordinator for Seattle’s Maritime High School. Check out: www.seastrpnw.com

Paddling, adventuring, and collaborating make for a joyful and rewarding weekend.

SHIFTING GEARS 24

BLISS BEFORE SOME HICCUPS

PART ONE OF THE FIRST CRUISE ON SEA LAB

by Dennis Bottemiller

After only four trailer launches and one overnight trip with our new C-Dory, Sea Lab, it came time for our summer cruise. My wife, Tekla, and I normally take at least two weeks in late summer for our boat trips. We always loved these trips on our sailboats, but our enthusiasm was often tempered because winds are usually light by late August and we end up motoring much more than sailing; but that’s when our work schedules allow, so that’s when we go. Well, now that we’re powerboaters I’m thinking maybe that’s a benefit. Smooth water and no wind are great on Sea Lab !

Another benefit of being small and trailerable, we pulled the boat up to Port Townsend to stage the trailer to maximize time in the islands. Coincidentally, we first had to cruise south to our home waters to attend a memorial service.

After launching in Port Townsend, we headed through the Port Townsend cut to stop for our first night in Port Ludlow, a spot we always enjoyed sailing into on our Cal 27, Moon Dance. We were not in a big hurry and had a few days to get back to Tacoma, so we took our time and lollygagged our way south intending to try out our anchoring system in Eagle Harbor. When we got there it was a

beehive of activity with boats buzzing about everywhere, so we reconsidered and continued south to Blakely Harbor where it was nice and quiet.

Sea Lab came to us equipped with an anchor windlass, a piece of equipment I had longed for on our sailboats. Both Tekla and I had thrown our backs out a time or two hand-hauling the anchor during our sailing adventures. As we came to the head of the harbor, I rounded up into the breeze and Tekla stationed herself on the bow and I pushed the button. Low and behold, the chain clattered out reverberating through the fiberglass and the rode followed smoothly as we backed down onto a 4:1 scope for the predicted calm night. Now that was easy. Two things I regret not spending money to buy for our Cal 27 are roller furling and a windlass. If I were starting over, I would have both.

I always love swinging on the anchor. Sitting on deck with the view constantly changing without ever having to use your neck muscles. On Moon Dance, the movement was slow and measured. On Sea Lab the movement is more like a leaf tethered by a spider web spinning around with each small puff of a breeze. Much more active than a keelboat.

Feeling secure on our set, it was time for a mug of box Syrah. Traveling light on a small boat calls for some compromises, and foregoing wine glasses is one of

them. The coffee mugs serve as drinking vessels night and day. As we were filling the mugs, I noticed an unusual gathering of women on the beach wearing swimsuits and bathing caps and pointed them out to Tekla wondering what was going on. Moments later they were all in the water and making the hundredyard swim directly for our boat. I wasn’t sure if I should be alarmed or amused. As they reached shouting distance, one of them announced, “We’re here for happy hour, what’s on the drink list?” I laughed and welcomed them aboard hoping the swimmers were joking, and they were. That would have been a crowd of wet people aboard a boat that comfortably holds three!

After a peaceful night at anchor, we perked some coffee on the alcohol stove and refilled our mugs from the night before to greet another beautiful day on the water. There’s something about the smell of the alcohol stove, coffee, and stale wine that evokes a feeling of life well lived. At the push of a button, our rode came home and the chain clattered after, revealing the anchor covered in mud and in need of only a small twist to enable it to come the last few inches back to its rest on the bow. Just like that, we were off again.

As we made our way past Blakley rocks and Blake Island, we made the slight turn to starboard and headed down Colvos

C-Dory Sea Lab showing its new owners the simplicity and ease of a new way of cruising.

passage on our way to Point Defiance Park. There is a nice little moorage dock right behind the ferry landing at Point Defiance where we could stay overnight. The memorial we were to attend was in the park — just a short hike through the woods to Fort Nisqually — so it was a perfect spot for us. Plus, the ferry dock and 8-lane boat launch adjacent to the little marina provided entertainment and boat watching all evening. The prop wash from the ferry landing and leaving

is amazingly powerful!

With sadness in our hearts after the memorial, we resumed our vacation on the water and headed back north. It was late afternoon so we crossed Dalco Passage and made our way over to anchor in Quartermaster Harbor for the night, planning an early start for the trip to the islands the next morning. We awoke to drizzling rain and I felt lucky that we had a pilothouse to keep us dry for the trip north. I can’t remember how many times I sat at the tiller in the rain motoring at 4-5 knots for hours on end, sometimes loving the hiss of rain hitting the water and sometimes hating it for making my hands too cold to grip. On Sea Lab, I sat at the helm with coffee in hand while making our way north in comfort.

In my opinion, one of the cutest things aboard Sea Lab are the windshield wipers. Our model was built in 1995, apparently before they invented windshield wiper motors. The wipers are moved back and forth individually by a little handle that comes through

the bulkhead and is powered by your hand. Isn’t that quaint? I love it for two reasons: first because it is so unexpected in these days of automated everything; and second, because there will never be an electrical motor and attendant mechanical connections to fix when they stop working. This is the difference between simple and easy and, in this case, I really like simple. In the case of the anchor windlass, I like easy.

Looking at our chart book, we figured we could easily make Edmonds marina to re-fuel and then get up to the marina in Langley — another favorite spot to overnight. The following day, we hoped to escape into the islands through Deception Pass to be free for the next week and a half. What’s that saying about the best laid plans? We were about to find out, and we’ll share that story in our next column, as our summer cruise unveiled some challenging surprises!

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

Tekla and Dennis (right) putting their mugs to use. But is it coffee or wine in there?

by Joe Cline

BEHIND THE BOOM

EXPLORING THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE PNW J/70 FLEET

Let’s start with two facts. One, the J/70 — a 22.75-foot sport boat from J/Boats which debuted in 2012 — has quickly grown into one of the world’s most popular one-design keelboats, with more than 1,500 boats sailing worldwide. And two, I’m not selling them.

While fleets exploded in many sailing hotspots around the United States during the 20-teens, the Pacific Northwest stayed eerily quiet. Since 2020, however, the winds have shifted, and the local fleet is growing at an eye-popping rate. First there were six J/70s in the San Juan Islands, then 10 — calling themselves “the J/Pod.” Then, I heard about one or two headed to Hood River. And after years of murmurs with little action, the chips fell just so in Seattle… and the rest is swiftly becoming history. The Pacific Northwest is now home to 34 J/70s actively racing, with many owners sensing the sudden critical mass, and wanting to get in on the ground floor of the local fleet. This is newsworthy on its own merits, but how and why this fleet is growing deserves deeper exploration.

It’s not as if the J/70 was completely off the radar of Pacific Northwest sailors. In fact, this is a good time to ‘out’ myself as someone who poured a tall glass of J/70 Kool-Aid once before. In the year the boat was first built, a friend bought J/70 hull #19 from the initial truckload that came to the area. All four of these boats were sold, and our boat raced regularly; but we mustered a four-boat one-design fleet only once in two seasons of trying. Befuddled at how the fleet wasn't taking off here as it was in so many other venues, we had some fun and flailed a bit as we tried to learn how to sail the boat well, racing PHRF or straight-up against J/80s. After a couple of seasons, motivation waned and I went off chasing different racing dreams. Other than noting the ginormous fleets sailing at very high levels on the national and international stage, I haven’t thought much about the J/70 in the intervening years.

Still, I perked-up when I heard that a fleet in the islands

seemingly materialized out of nowhere, observing with cautious optimism driven by the same interests that drew me in a decade ago. And that’s where this story takes its more interesting turn. One that has me sipping a “slooper size” stein of J/70 Kool-Aid once more, but for notably different reasons.

Enter Ron Rosenberg. It’s not right to say this is all Ron’s doing, but there’s no way to discuss the PNW’s J/70 fleet boom in the last few years without acknowledging that Ron is at the center of it. Indeed, he’s the newly-elected fleet captain, but he’s a whole lot more than that.

RON ROSENBERG

Ron started sailing at 8 or 9 years old when his dad showed up one day with a Coronado 15. He says, “We went for a sail as a family of five, not knowing what we were doing. We capsized, and some strangers helped us get back to shore. And we had a ball together. That changed our lives.” Ron became the “young kid in the gang” at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, and he tried to keep up with the older kids. He got involved in doublehanded sailing and “won a youth worlds in 1981 in the doublehanded class when Russell Coutts won the singlehanded worlds. That was an eye-opener.” At that event, Dave Perry was assigned by US Sailing to coach his boat, and Ron started to see “how much you could learn from a very good coach in a short amount of time, and how mentors work through life.”

Early in his career, Ron did a number of Olympic campaigns; and won the J/24, Soling, and Etchells worlds with Larry Klein between 1989 and 1991. Ron was an alternate on the 1992 US

Ron Rosenberg

Olympic Sailing Team, but was elected by his peers to be the team captain in Barcelona. There were several noteworthy PNW sailors on that team — it was the year Brian Ledbetter won his medal in the Finn, and it also included Jonathan and Charlie McKee.

In his role with the Olympic team in Barcelona, Ron developed an appreciation for, “...responsibility, supporting others, and coaching." He says, "It was a pivotal time, and began my personal study of my passions for sailing, coaching, and helping others to reach their potential.” The US team won medals in 9 out of 10 disciplines that year.

Ron has gone on to become and remain a world-renowned sailing coach, relocating to the Seattle area in 2000; and this led to his present J/70 involvement. A local coaching client named Mike Breivik, who started sailing in 2018, wanted to move from his Beneteau 45 to a smaller race boat and tasked Ron with identifying the path that would allow him to “learn the fastest and become competent and confident at close-quarters one-design racing.” Ron took Mike to a 166-boat Dragon regatta in Europe — the class Ron is personally most familiar with — and Mike was hooked. As they considered Mike’s desires, the J/70 rose to the top of the pile as an ideal training platform. Why the J/70? In Ron’s words, “We can doublehand it, it has a nice safety factor, and the keel is just heavy enough to keep you out of trouble. It’s a very high performance boat, but also a boat that we can all sail until we’re a hundred years old because you don’t have to be super strong. It’s an easy boat to sail and get around the race course, but it’s a very challenging boat to sail well.” They’re relatively inexpensive to buy used — $20,000$45,000 typically, with $30,000 being about average, according to Ron — and they should hold their value quite well.

THE J/POD APPROACH

Though Ron and Mike were already moving toward the J/70, the real turning point for our burgeoning local fleet is the grinding-halt that 2020 threw at all of us. In an instant, Ron’s busy travel schedule coaching Olympic athletes and sailors trying to win world championships was completely canceled. He spent the pandemic on Orcas Island, and there was a fateful meeting with some Orcas sailors when Ron asked, “Who wants to go sailing?” Every hand went up. As it was 2020, they were focused on safety and doing something that could thrive shorthanded — sailing together as couples, or parents with kids. The first few J/70s of the “J/Pod” came to West Sound shortly thereafter.

Pouring himself into the Orcas sailing community, Ron applied his coaching skills and guided the fleet towards an intentional model. Together, they worked to understand what we as sailors have missed in the past and what we’ve gotten wrong about fleet building. Ron calls it a “Covid experiment.” The experiment’s central question is this — can Olympic-style coaching and drills provide a great experience for local amateur sailors and help a fleet grow?

To me, the J/Pod model’s principles are intuitive and elegant. The boats sail together as members of the same team, more than as competitors, investing and reinvesting in one another. A group of boats agree on a time and leave the dock together

— having multiple boats on the water is crucial — they’re all in radio contact, the coach choreographs everything. Everybody learns together in a fast-paced environment. Ron notes, “We can test things quickly, exploring different ways to tack and jibe and handle the boats together.” This togetherness is a big part of the enjoyment, while also allowing you to make concrete gains, which you can then share with the group. Soon, everybody is getting around the racecourse much more efficiently.

What differentiates this approach from other more well-worn fleet building approaches? To begin with, Ron says, “In my opinion, it’s not about the boat. Many kinds of boats would have been suitable and successful for what we’re doing. It’s about the people, about sharing our passion for sailing and learning with your friends. We’re not know-it-alls, myself included, we’re learn-it-alls.” With this dynamic, it doesn’t feel like work to go out and practice hundreds of jibes, leeward mark roundings, or starts. Learning something at a very high level, in a supportive community environment, with the guidance of someone who is competent in the skills and understands the needs and desires of the individuals and the group… Ron is thrilled that it is showing itself to be effective, welcoming, and inclusive, and importantly, “It is super fun.”

Additionally, there are some cultural fleet norms that try to put a check on things that can take the wind out of a fleet’s figurative sails. One aspect is to recognize that people’s time is precious. To honor that, the J/Pod format tries to get sailors on the water rapidly. All of the Pacific Northwest J/70s live in the water, while many other boats around the country are drysailed. This ethos goes so far as to encourage sailors to keep their jibs furled on the headstay, their mains rolled on the boom, and their spinnaker rigged and ready. “Every boat should be sailing 10 minutes after sailors arrive at the dock,” Ron declares enthusiastically.

In an effort to keep the arms-race under control, used sails

J/Pod boats racing near Orcas Island.

are the J/Pod standard, and Ron will often buy a dozen lightly used sails from top teams at a championship event, bringing them back and passing them along to J/Pod boats.

Ron says J/Pod boats don’t touch. Ever. “There’s a good enough sailor on every boat to ensure that boats aren’t crashing into each other.” Boat damage is expensive, takes boats off the water, and works against good relationships within the fleet. The focus on learning over competition supports this, and the vibe of the boats sailing as members of the same J/Pod team promotes further respect between sailors.

One big reason this concept has been so successful is that Ron helps everybody. Most of the people who benefit from Ron’s coaching and guidance don’t actually pay him as a coach. He helps people find boats to buy, and they often ask if there’s a finder's fee. There isn’t. He pronounces that he’s motivated “by sheer gratefulness.” He does often get paid, but notably, a single boat or sailor sponsors a coaching session for the whole group. You read that correctly, one person pays, everybody benefits. This is part of Ron’s vision, and he describes the people who just show up and go sailing when a coaching session or race night has been announced as “the glue” — they’re just as valuable as the paying clients.

Growing this “glue” is in everyone’s interest. As such, there is a strong J/Pod expectation that your boat goes sailing, even if for some reason you can’t. Individual sailors find replacement skippers and crew, or Ron utilizes his network to make sure your boat goes out. There are group WhatsApp threads with 100+ members for both the North Sound and Lake Washington — used for general communication and planning, skipper/ crew searching, and the exchange of stoke. Sometimes, boat sharing can provide demo-ride opportunities for folks who are newer to sailing. Other times, it’s an opportunity for PNW sailors to get out with their own crew and see what all the fuss (and fun) is about with the J/70.

SAILING WITH THE SEATTLE J/70s

It was in that context that Ron helped me get out for a Wednesday evening race on Lake Washington in May. Mike Breivik’s USA 32 wasn’t going to be used because Ron and Mike were racing J/70s together in Puerto Vallarta. So I got hooked up with my old sailing pal Dan Kaseler, we called a couple friends and went out for a light wind Wednesday out of Leschi.

I’d love to join a night when Ron is coaching, but even on an average race night, the fleet is friendly. We found the boat exactly as Ron indicated — ready to sail immediately. We were offered several different pieces of shared gear from other boats on the dock before we went out, and we were waved through on a close port-crossing during the race. We only got one race in due to the fluky breeze, but it was stirring to see 12 J/70s on the starting line where there had been zero at the same time last year.

Candidly, we were OCS, but we continued to sail. Ron told me he and the J/Pod don’t pay attention to scores on these nights that are mainly about learning and fun. I honestly don’t know if the right J/Pod-move would have been to go back and exonerate ourselves (and sail far behind the fleet for the rest of night) or keep sailing in the fleet mix as we did, knowing our score would reflect our start-line error. I bring this up to say that the J/Pod approach and culture was in my head, even as a visitor… leaving me wondering whether or not we had done right by our fellow J/Pod sailors.

On the water, I was reminded of what I liked about the J/70. It’s ergonomic ease (aside from the presence of the mostlysuperfluous winches), the responsive weight-sensitivity, the interesting set-up variables such as inhauling the jib. The night also recalled some old memories that the J/70 is not a very exciting boat in 5 knots, but that’s much more about the wind than the boat.

The fleet is rewarding for every skill level, including J/24 World Champion, Keith Whittemore.

In May 2023, there were 12 J/70s racing on Lake Washington. There had been zero a year earlier.

Borrowing a J/70 and joining the fleet for a night was easy and very enjoyable.

After a night of racing that scratched some of my itches for sailing in a bigger one-design class with a growing fleet, of learning a lot in a still-casual environment with friends — I have to say this whole thing is definitely working. There’s the intangible stuff, like the palpable excitement and positive energy of something new that’s just getting off the ground, as well as the goodwill at the post-racing barbeque. More fascinating is the way likable and inspiring PNW sailors are coalescing around an idea, bringing a range of experience and some evidently different motivations to join together for a common fleet goal. It’s pretty dang cool.

In my opinion, one of the best signs for the Seattle fleet is to see Pacific Northwest stalwarts like Andrew Loe and Keith Wittemore — who have been traveling out of the area to race

J/70s at the highest levels — bring their boats here to local waters to go sailing with the J/Pod fleet on Lake Washington. Not only does it speak volumes about the benefits available to all skill and experience levels from Ron and the J/Pod format, but it also validates the staying-power of the local fleet for others who may be thinking about joining the fun.

So, there’s a lot to be excited about. Ron Rosenberg and the J/ Pod fleet are onto something unique; and something that could and probably should become more commonplace. The Pacific Northwest now lays claim the nation’s largest J/70 fleet, and it shows no signs of slowing. Try the Kool-Aid, I bet you’ll like it.

Joe Cline is the Managing Editor of 48° North.

A fleet barbeque after racing helps build strong friendships and the team-oriented vibe.

MISCHIEF AROUND VANCOUVER ISLAND

HIGHLIGHTS FROM A CIRCUMNAVIGATION: PART 1

Photos by Karen Johnson

by Michael Boyd

Like many Pacific Northwest boaters, my wife Karen and I wanted to cruise the west coast of Vancouver Island but were intimidated by what conditions might be like on the ocean. I’m somewhat prone to seasickness, and she thought our boat at the time, a 25-foot motorsailer, was too small. A few years ago, we bought Mischief, an Eagle 40 trawler, and felt we finally had the boat and the experience to tackle it. We started our planning two years in advance by negotiating for the eight weeks away from our jobs we felt we would need to make such a trip without feeling pressured by time. After years of dreaming and planning, mid-June arrived and it was time to load the boat with provisions and go.

On our first day, we got an early start out of our homeport in Seattle, planning to reach Deception Pass for the late afternoon slack. We were a bit early and caught the last of the flood. Perfect, we thought. But we hadn’t paid sufficient attention to the weather forecast for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and didn’t realize the gale in the strait was going to affect us. Almost as soon as we were past the Deception Pass Bridge the waves started to build. By the time we reached Rosario Strait, we were facing steep 4- to 6-foot seas. In these rough conditions, we felt daunted bordering on terrified. We put on our life vests, picked up the things off the floor we had been careless about stowing, and pushed across Rosario toward the Lopez Island shore. The closer we got to the lee of the island, the smaller the waves became, and we were greatly relieved to make Hunter Bay and calm water for the night.

Thinking we’d just had a preview of the Van Isle coast, we were nervous about the future. As it turned out, these were by far the worst seas of our entire trip.

Like most circumnavigators we were going counterclockwise in order to have the wind, waves, and current behind us on the outside. Accordingly, we wandered our way up the east coast of Vancouver Island to Bull Harbour near the north end of the island; the traditional jumping off place for the west coast. It had taken us 15 days to travel the 370 miles from Seattle, the last of which were spent waiting for a suitable west coast

weather forecast. It was predictably enjoyable to visit cruising stops as we made our way north, some new and others familiar. With almost six weeks of our trip remaining, however, we had now positioned ourselves for the main event.

Going over the top of the island, we left Bull Harbour at first light, skirting Cape Sutil closely to avoid Nahwitti Bar, and arrived at Cape Scott at slack. The wind was light from behind us and the swell was about three feet on our starboard quarter as we pushed down the coast.

Karen and I were awed by the immensity of the scene. Vancouver Island was nearby to our left and, to our right, nothing but sea and sky. We put Mischief on autopilot and searched for the best place aboard to enjoy the ride south.

The wheelhouse had the least roll but the view out the windows was disconcerting; all we could see was water, then a bit later all we could see was sky, repeated every 20 seconds. The flybridge had a more pronounced roll but at least the view of water, sky, and the wild coast of Vancouver Island was much more stable. Before long, we had completed the day’s 35 miles of travel and were approaching the narrow entrance to Sea Otter Cove which, with the wind out of the northwest, was delightfully calm. We had successfully passed our first major west coast challenge, Cape Scott.

Sea Otter Cove was a perfect introduction to the west coast. We tied up to one of the huge commercial mooring buoys and took in our first west coast landfall. Behind us was a small island protecting us from waves coming in the entrance. Ahead was a large shallow bay and 100 yards to our left was a pack of three wolves arguing with a black bear over who had rights to a seal carcass on the beach. The bear seemed to get tired of the nipping at his heels and left, to return later after the wolves had eaten their fill. Once the local wildlife had wandered off, we took the dinghy to shore for a hike to Lowrie Beach on the outside. We truly felt we had arrived.

The “trail” was mostly a surveyor’s-tape marked route through a shallow swamp that happened to end on the beach. And what a magical beach it was. The sand was white and fine

The first day shakedown in Rosario Strait was sporty.

Michael celebrating their arrival at Lowrie Beach.

with absolutely no flotsam and no signs of any footprints but our own. Floating on the water were thousands of creatures we had never seen before — each a flat three inch disk of cobalt blue jelly with a clear, stiff sail standing up in the middle. The ones stranded on the beach by the outgoing tide had lost their color in death. We found out later they were called By-thewind-sailors, and they’re related to jellyfish. Farther down the beach, we discovered the emergency shelter, a small cabin, really, placed by the government to benefit any human boaters that might be shipwrecked on this wild coast.

It was only a short way from Sea Otter Cove to Quatsino Sound, the northernmost of the five great sounds that indent Vancouver Island’s west coast. As we entered, we circled around the Gillam Islands, which occupy the center of the entrance channel, and spent some time admiring the sea otter colony making use of the kelp beds on the lee side of the islands. Although it is a long way from Seattle and challenging to get to, Quatsino Sound can’t really be called remote by west coast standards. At its entrance, along the shore of a small narrow inlet, is the coastal community of Winter Harbour and down its fjord-like arms are several small towns that are connected by road to the east coast of Vancouver Island.

Winter Harbour seemed like it might be civilization so we tied to the public dock and checked out the town. There are a few houses near the water, a nice boardwalk along the waterfront, a post office, and a small museum, but the community seems to be centered around the fish processing plant. It was very quiet; the fog and rain might have had something to do with it. Of course, there was also a small store, well stocked with canned and packaged goods, and a surprisingly good supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. This was probably because Winter Harbour does have a road going to it, likely a holdover from long past logging operations. The store also had a freezer so we treated ourselves to ice cream.

After topping off our water tanks, we met some of our fellow travelers, also circumnavigating as we were. They were a mix of sail and power with some, like us, out for the adventure of it all and others on their shakedown, getting a taste of the ocean before heading south for Mexico and beyond. Since we were all traveling at about the same speed and all going from sound to sound, we would meet many of them again on our trip. We moved farther into Quatsino Sound to tiny Pamphlet Cove on Drake Island, where we anchored all alone and watched the small boats heading to the fishing resort across from the entrance.

Retrieving the anchor proved somewhat difficult. When it finally came up, it was hooked to a large tree branch that took some time to remove. We finally got underway and headed for Holberg Inlet. We certainly didn’t expect to find aids to navigation there, but since nearby Rupert Inlet was once home to a large open pit copper mine, a line of lighted beacons was installed from the entrance of the sound all the way to the mine, warning boats away from hazards. We followed the beacons through Quatsino Narrows toward Rupert. While there are current predictions for Quatsino Narrows and it may be narrow by deep draft boat standards, we saw it as wide and deep with a maximum current of less than 4 knots — clearly not in league with the narrows of the Inside Passage with which we were more familiar. Next stop, Coal Harbour.

Only 12 miles from Port Hardy by gravel road, Coal Harbour is commuting distance for some of the workers there, and is a former whaling center. We tied up at the community dock,

By-the-wind sailors on Lowrie Beach.

Mischief's route around the northwest coast of Vancouver Island:

A) Bull Harbour/Nahwitti Bar

B) Sea Otter Cove

C) Quatsino Sound

D) Klaskish Basin

E) Columbia Cove.

Coal Harbour public dock.

visited the small store, and took a tour of the local museum. Their artifacts covered the area’s past in whaling, logging, and mining. The star attraction was a jaw bone from a blue whale standing on end like a gigantic arch.

Near the head of nearby Neroutsos Inlet is another town with good roads, Port Alice, the site of a large pulp mill. Port Alice is large enough to have a dedicated small boat harbor located a couple miles away at Rumble Beach. We tied up at what we hoped was the guest dock in Rumble Beach Marina and chatted with a couple of locals. Then, a mile walk up a paved road brought us to a small supermarket, where we stocked up on as much fresh produce as we were willing to carry back to the boat. It was great to stretch our legs but we didn’t want to stay in the marina so we headed out to another small, quiet bay called Julian Cove. Again there were no other boats in the pristine cove — just how we like it.

While we had been exploring the waters of Quatsino and enjoying its many attractions, there had been gales in the ocean. We only knew this from the weather reports on the radio. The conditions even a short distance inside the Sound were completely different — mostly calm without a hint of swell, mostly cloudy but without the fog so prevalent along the coast. With the ocean forecast calming down, we agreed it was time to plan our journey back out into the ocean. This would present

our next major west coast challenge, the Brooks Peninsula, and on to the next cruising destination, Kyuquot Sound. Again, I began to think about mal de mer.

The Brooks Peninsula is an almost-rectangular landmass that extends 9 miles straight out from the west coast of Vancouver Island. It forms such a major barrier that the Environment Canada weather forecast for that side of the island is broken into two parts: south of Brooks and north of Brooks. It can be a significant passage for a cruising boat, requiring careful planning for the wind, waves, and weather.

One can certainly go directly from Quatsino Sound to the outside of Brooks, but that route would be much more exposed than we were comfortable with. So we adopted a more timid approach — heading from Quatsino down the coast until we got to the peninsula, staying overnight near there and then going around the next day. We needed to have a good forecast for two days. The first would get us in position and the second would get us around.

The ocean was still a bit rough from the recent gales, but the forecast was for improving weather and diminishing seas, so we decided the time was right and headed for Klaskish Basin at the north corner of Brooks Peninsula. We immediately headed out to 120-foot depths on the chart to avoid all near shore hazards. Klaskish is a small, narrow inlet that has an entrance protected

Waiting for good weather to go around the Brooks Peninsula pays off.

by a number of rocks and islands. When we got there, the islands had waves breaking on them and we threaded our way through in calm water. It was a spectacular entrance, a quarter mile long and 100 feet wide with high rock walls on both sides that opened into a lovely basin with plenty of room to anchor and waterfalls to serenade us. We dropped the hook in 19 feet and while some wind from outside seemed to enter the basin, the water was calm. We listened to the latest weather forecast which still called for good conditions the next day. Splendid!

The next day we left Klaskish Basin early in calm seas and light winds and made for Solander Island, a large, barren rocky island on the west side of the Brooks. By-the-wind-sailors covered the water and dense low clouds obscured the forests from the top of the peninsula almost to the waterline. As we rounded Solander, the sun came out and we sighted a pair of Northern Fulmars, our first true sea birds. We were finally ocean travelers as well.

As we approached the coast along the south side of the Brooks, the wind dropped, the seas calmed and the sun returned. We anchored in Columbia Cove under sunny skies with dense clouds still covering the top of the peninsula a short distance away. We definitely breathed a sigh of relief; we had successfully passed our second major west coast challenge.

First order of business was a hike, out to Shed #4 beach. There were acres of fine white sand, shining in the sun, but how different it was from Lowrie Beach. While the latter had been pristine, Shed #4 was covered with flotsam; plastic floats, large chunks of styrofoam and many unusual things. It was probably debris from the east Japan tsunami, carried to this coast by the northern Pacific currents and hurtled against the Brooks Peninsula by southwest winter storms.

It was relentlessly breezy in Columbia Cove. The wind came down from over the top of Brooks and blew 15 knots most of the time and, with gale warnings, we were reluctant to leave. But after three days we had investigated everything we could reach in our rowing dinghy and we were ready to go. We retrieved our anchor and ventured out into the ocean to test things out knowing that we could always come back if conditions were horrid. But instead the wind immediately died. It seems Brooks also creates its own weather.

Our next stop was the Bunsby Islands, and we were equally eager to get there and grateful for the experience we’d had so far. Though, by mileage, we were only slightly more than one quarter of our way south along Vancouver Island’s wild west side, we had already seen so much — beauty, wilderness, and truly unique small towns. We’d also shown ourselves that, with thoughtful planning, we were capable of this style of ocean cruising. Mischief was certainly up to the task, and we were feeling increasingly assured as we continued and visited more and more wonderful, rugged, and remote destinations. After years of dreaming about it, we were really there — exploring the outside of Vancouver Island, and loving it.

Michael and Karen have been cruising the Salish Sea and beyond for more than 20 years, the last 11 aboard Mischief, a 40foot Eagle pilothouse trawler. They're out cruising now — follow their journeys at www.mvmischief.com

Heading out for a hike in Columbia Cove.

Pristine Julian Cove.

Unusual glass bulbs found on Shed #4 beach.

LESSON LEARNED OFF POINT NO POINT

by Mike Smith

It was a beautiful Friday and my wife, Sandy, and I were on the way from our home port of Port Townsend to Kingston in our 1983 Pearson 303, Spiritus . We were planning to meet other members of our local yacht club and had stopped for the first night at Port Ludlow. As we headed out the next morning for the short 17 mile leg to Kingston, we had lots of sun and a nice southerly breeze, so we set the mainsail and jib and proceeded eastward on a fine beam reach toward Foulweather Bluff.

The wind freshened considerably as we made our way along this course. By the time we got past Foulweather Bluff and turned southeast to proceed down Puget Sound, the southerly wind picked up even more and was now almost directly against us, so we turned on our engine and lowered both sails. The waves, which had started out small, built quickly and were now 4 to 5 feet.

A 4- or 5-foot wave may not sound like much but, in these inland waters, especially when they are steep and close together, heading into such waves makes

PNW SAILORS FIND OUT THAT THIS NOTORIOUS TIDE RIP IS NO JOKE

Photo by Jonathan Miske.

for a rough ride. With each wave, the bow would rise way up, and then come down suddenly with a crash. Sandy, who generally never complains about sea conditions, said at one point, “This is really not fun!” I had to agree.

Little did we know, however, that by far the worst of the experience was yet to come. Point No Point lies on the west side of Puget Sound about 4 miles southeast of Foulweather Bluff. Home to an iconic lighthouse, it was given this name by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition of Puget Sound in 1841, because the point appears much less of a promontory at close range than it does from a distance. We knew that it was normal to encounter tide rips in the vicinity of this point, but had been through the area with the boat a number

of times before and found the rips to be mild and nothing of concern.

I had not, however, noticed the following admonition in the Waggoner Cruising Guide: “Watch out for this tiderip. When a strong wind opposes a big tide, the waters off Point No Point can turn dangerous.”

We were in fact being pushed south by a sizable flood tide, making 7 or 8 knots toward our destination while fighting a 20-25 knot southerly — exactly the troublesome situation described by the cruising guide. I was concentrating so much on pushing through the ugly sea state that I frankly forgot all about the tide rip. Usually you can see a significant tide rip from a distance, with its standing waves, and take steps to avoid it. In this case, the big waves that already

surrounded us completely concealed the rip ahead.

All of a sudden, we were in the rip. Waves, which were at least as high as what we had been in and probably higher, instead of marching along in orderly fashion, began hitting us from every direction. Spiritus was suddenly being tossed around like a cork, making it very difficult to steer. The sea state was absolutely chaotic. Throughout my many years of sailing, I had never been in anything like it, and it was probably the most frightening situation I had encountered on a boat. I was hoping and praying that Spiritus’ faithful diesel engine would keep going through it all.

As a sailor, you want to at least feel that you are in control of a situation, or at least working in concert with the conditions. In this case, I did not have that feeling.

Amazingly, through all of this churning chaos, the south-going tidal current was so strong that our GPS showed us continuing toward Kingston at a steady 7-8 knots over the ground. Even so, the rip seemed to take forever for us to get through. Eventually, we did get out of the rip, and, thankfully, the strong wind soon moderated as well. We had a pleasant ride the rest of the way to Kingston.

When we got into port at Kingston and met up with our friends, we were definitely ready for a drink! We found out that another boat from our club, a 36-foot sailboat, had been in the rip at a similar time to when we were there, but farther out from shore. They had left a forward hatch open and a wave had come over their bow, gone down the deck, and soaked their main cabin. Not a fun moment, I’m sure. All of this reinforced the idea that this rip is not to be taken lightly.

That night, we had a fine party on the dock in Kingston with the yacht club group, at which almost everybody talked about their own miserable experiences in the rip that day. After a relaxing Saturday, we headed home on Sunday morning in very light wind. Though we had to motor

Little did we know that by far the worst of the experience was yet to come.

Spiritus goes upwind in quiter times.

the whole way back to Port Townsend, we had a nice ebb tide pushing us northward. As we passed Point No Point, we marveled at the difference in the area from two days prior. A host of small fishing boats were pleasantly trolling through the same place where the breathtaking rip had wreaked havoc for us, and the calm water was disturbed only by a few scattered ripples. Hard to believe it was the same place!

We certainly gained a new respect for the Point No Point rip on that trip. And, while I had long been aware of the hazard that a strong current running against a strong wind can create, I had not fully appreciated that hazard until this experience. We learned that a dangerous rip can be concealed from you if you are in rough water before you hit it.

As cruisers, it is important to be prepared for the harsh conditions we may encounter on the water. Still, even ample preparation can leave a big delta between our expectations and reality. It’s part of what makes the activity of cruising the Salish Sea so rewarding — this pursuit provides lifelong learning opportunities, dynamic new experiences, and the

chance to deepen our understanding of and respect for these spectacular waters. When an experience underway surprises us by being far less pleasant than we’d envisioned, it can still serve to show us how we might take steps to ensure an even better time when we untie our dock lines next.

Mike Smith is a retired attorney who has been sailing since he was a teenager, starting with racing in his hometown of Muskegon, Michigan. In 2009, he and his wife, Sandy, had Spiritus trucked from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Port Townsend. Between Lake Michigan and the Pacific Northwest, they have put about 4,000 nautical miles on her.

When wind and current oppose one another at Point No Point, the resulting rip can be dangerous.

Spiritus came through the Point No Point rip unscathed.

BEATING THE ODDS

by Stephanie Campbell

“ALL-IN” RACING CONDITIONS AT EAST SOUND SPRING REGATTA

Sailing in the spring can be a gamble, but odds are you’ll have a great weekend sailing in the San Juan Islands in any season. The East Sound Spring Regatta (ESSR) returned to Orcas Island’s East Sound waters in front of beautiful Rosario Resort April 1516, 2023. A record 11 J/70s registered for the event, along with five Martin 242s and a handful of PHRF boats.

THE REGATTA’S OVER/UNDER/HIGH/LOW WERE AS FOLLOWS:

Under-staffed! On my Santa Cruz 27, Wild Rumpus, we had a crew of four in conditions that favored six. My poor son Dylan braved the bow shenanigans of symmetrical kites and a mom who insisted on sail changes galore. And we weren’t alone, a number of other boats were light on crew.

Over-achieving wind conditions. How windy? I never know. But the wind was chunky and full of moisture. I’m pretty sure that each J/70 spent at least a little time on Saturday skidding sideways after wiping out, and a lot of time wahoo-ing and high-fiving.

Low-road downwind angles for the Martin 242s and PHRF boats, and thus less dramatic kite runs. On Wild Rumpus, as we planed toward the leeward mark in race three, we didn’t want the ride to end but also didn’t know if there was any way to actually slow the boat down enough to turn around. There was (sort of) and we did, and it was ugly. As is often true of the best entertainment, the only documentation was the less-exciting aftermath.

Higher angles for the J/70s, who spent some time in the wicked down-drafts along the beach before jibing back to the leeward mark and finish line. One kite was a casualty, but most came out unscathed. Still, it was hard to be on your A-game. As coach Ron Rosenberg wisely put it, “We are coloring with the big crayons this weekend.”

After four great buoy races, the PRO decided getting off the water was a can’t-miss bet. The anchors were not holding and the people were getting tired. The marina looked like a ghost town, but any boats big enough to stand up inside were packed full of salty wet sailors having fun and drying out. Between Robin Roser’s Clean Regatta Ecology Jeopardy, dinner on Betsy Wareham’s Nootka Rose, and sea stories a-plenty, there were

wonderful shoreside delights before most called it an early night.

On Sunday morning, waves were breaking over the breakwater during the skippers meeting. When the Race Committee started giving away volunteer lunches, we knew we weren’t going racing.

We were, however, going out to get home. The J/70 run back to Bellingham by Chancla and Deviant was exciting, with boat speeds ranging from 0 to 16 knots. It was definitely a zesty weekend for all!

Congratulations go out to Frederic Lafitte and crew on FOMO, winning the competitive J/70 division, followed in second by Krystal Luchterhand on Zeal just one point ahead of her dad Boris Luchterhand on RIFF.

In the Martin 242 fleet, it was the dynamic trio of Ken Machtley, Chris White, and Jeff Rodenberger on Treachery in the 1 spot, followed by new owner Eric Bonetti sailing Boomer with former owner Mike Merrick.

In the lovingly renamed “PHRF Are People Too” division, it was Wild Rumpus on top, breaking a tie with Gabe Hill and Chad Saxton’s newly refurbished Juan Solo in second place. It was a friendly battle of the winter project boats! Thank you to the volunteers who made it happen. It was a great weekend with friends old and new.

Photos by Carl Davis

Three J/70s looking good going upwind in East Sound.

I’LL SAY IT… THE BEST VASHON ISLAND RACE EVER

by Joe Cline

As the week wore on prior to May’s annual SYC-hosted circumnavigation of Vashon Island, the forecast looked so good that I couldn’t tell if I should keep reloading the page to make sure it was actually for the Seattle area, or if I should close the app onceand-for-all so as not to jinx it. I’ve seen sun before on a summertime Vashon Island Race, but seldom is it paired with breeze. Considering that the first race of Seattle Yacht Club’s Tri-Island Series, to Protection Island and back, had been a blissful, mostly-downwind affair in warm sun with record-early finish times, it was not hard to feel as though the other shoe had to drop. Not so. Maybe somebody at SYC sold their soul, because the Vashon Race got unimaginably good conditions too, keeping a great thing going in this year’s Tri-Island Series!

In total, 53 boats joined the race — 25 of whom were doing the full 47-mile circumnavigation of Vashon, 21 boats would sail the 34-mile short course to Point Robinson and back, and 7 sailed in the Cruiser/Racer Class on a 15-mile course.

The northerly launched us off the line under spinnakers with lovely pressure around 12 knots, and temps already rising toward their eventual high around 80 degrees. The smart routers had predicted that the Elliott Bay side would pay in the

first portion of the run south. Indeed, they were correct, though the middle of the Sound wasn’t too bad either. With full running conditions, the northerly built as the geography compressed the racecourse between Alki and Vashon.

Breeze pushed into the high teens, but the water stayed flat as the wind and tide ran together toward the South Sound. We were very pleased to have boat speeds in the low to mid-teens on the TP52 Glory as we chewed up the miles at the front of the fleet. I’m not sure if racing gets more pleasant. Good wind was on offer all over the course, but it was definitely variable in pockets. Al Hughes, sailing Creative in the J/105 fleet, noted “gradient holes between breeze lines coming from the north and northeast.” It’s always striking when 10 knots of boat speed suddenly feels slow, but they weren’t the quicksand some wind holes can be around here.

The fleet diverged at Point Robinson, with the short course boats returning north, and the long course boats turning southwest and continuing on. For those on the long course, this is always a critical decision point — the most direct course would follow the shore, but there is seldom breeze in there. On the other hand, how great a circle is too great? This year added yet another key decision: roll the dice carrying the kite at a hot angle as you head up, or douse and sail the more direct

course with the jib. Each had its risks, and between the 52s, Glory was ahead and kept the spinnaker up, while Smoke was just behind and opted to try the more direct route with the jib. Keeping the kite up was nervy for a while, as monster puffs found their way over the bluff and required a massive sheet ease and a big soak away from the desired course when they hit. Pretty soon, though, we started to feel better about our decision. Our navigator had hoped the breeze would shift behind us, and boy did he wind up looking smart. Before long, we were sailing an angle parallel to Smoke, with more wind because we were father from the Vashon shore and more speed since we were reaching with the kite. Woo hoo!

The south end of Vashon always seems to have a big wind hole, and it did get proper funky in the transition down there between the northerly on either side of the island. After successfully putting some distance on Smoke, we got headed and switched to our jib. Then… huh? Some puffs from the Tacoma side? Weird. Then back from the north coming out of Quartermaster Harbor. Ok. Then back to the south off Point Defiance. For more than an hour, we waded through these murky zephyrs, always trying to keep the boat moving first and foremost. Thankfully, the tide was still nudging us along even when the breeze didn’t.

Approaching Tahlequah, we could see the dark water of the northerly in Colvos Passage, but sheesh it took a lot of machinations to get to it. It seemed just boat lengths away for ages. We even put a spinnaker up to ride the minuscule Point Defiance puffs trying to get there.

Finally, we made it and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Smoke had closed a bit of distance in the transition, but unless the northerly trickled down to them much more directly than it had for us, we knew they still had some convergence hoops to jump through. We cruised home in a gusty northerly hovering in the low-tomid teens. We enjoyed the sun, wind, and the surroundings as we zipped up Colvos, eventually realizing that we had a couple of miles on the nearest competitors. Racing doesn’t pan out like this most of the time, so you’ve got to appreciate it when things go your way.

Near the north end of Colvos, the breeze built, hinting there was more to come. The final stretch of the beat got very windy with breezes steadily in the low 20s — a bit more than forecast. We tacked around West Point to find the

committee boat only a few hundred yards farther north. Crossing the line, the sound of the finishing gun was the final reward of a truly extraordinary day of sailboat racing on Puget Sound. We were fortunate on every level!

As is so often the case, the southof-Vashon restart had been a major determinant in the final results, but a number of the classes had very tight racing, nonetheless. In Class 2, Carl Buchan’s Madrona just edged out Iain Christenson’s Annapurna crew by 18 seconds on corrected time for a class and long-course ORC overall win. In addition to Glory and Madrona, long course class honors went to Riptide 35 Terramoto, Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 Rush, and Swan 441 Gusto. The short course boats had a great day too, and made superb time since they avoided the south-end dead zone. In the nine-boat J/105 fleet, there was a hot four-way battle at the front, with lead changes throughout the beat. Jaded finished atop the J/105 podium, and won the short course overall. Other short course class winners were Wauquiez Centurion 40s, Different Drummer, and Cal

33,

It was an epically good Vashon Race — the best ever, in my history anyway. After all-timers for these first two Tri-Island Series races, who can predict what the final event, the Blake Island Race, will be like?! Maybe it’ll rain fresh donuts and hundred dollar bills, or at least round out the series with more summery weather and excellent breeze.

photos courtesy of Jan Anderson.

Cherokee. The C&C 115 Lola and Olson 911 Kowloon each took Cruiser/Racer class wins.

All

The Glory team enjoying fast sailing under spinnaker.

RED RUBY REPORT

SPI OUEST REGATTA

by Alyosha Strum-Palerm

The idea of doing the Spi Ouest Regatta in La Trinité surMer dawned on me and my co-skipper, Jonathan Mckee, while we were wrapping up up our adventure at the Rolex Middle Sea Race last fall. We had a successful race in many ways, but as Pacific Northwest sailors racing in unfamiliar waters on a boat that was relatively new to us — there were times we didn’t know how to sail it best in the varying conditions. We made good decisions, but we had a lot of work to do on our speed and boat handling.

Spi Ouest was the perfect place to hone these skills. It is a four-day regatta where boats in the IRC Doublehanded fleet sail one 15-40 mile race each day. The courses are random legs, with a variety of wind angles and directions, and the Bay of Quiberon is a complex race area full of rocky coastlines, strong currents, and plenty of navigational hazards typical of the Breton coast. We had our work cut out for us to be competitive in the very tough 58-boat French IRC Doublehanded fleet.

Jonathan and I arrived in France four days before the regatta began and enjoyed a few great days of training and boat preparation, as well as a field trip up to Lorient to enjoy the spectacle that is La Base (home-base for most of the French Imoca 60 and Ultim teams).

Day one of racing brought us a 7-10 knot easterly and we set off upwind on a 10 mile beat. We rounded somewhere in the tophalf of the fleet after some navigational challenges on the first leg. After that, we showed good pace and made some solid calls on the downwind. We crossed the line fourth and corrected to fourth as well. However! That fourth quickly turned into a 58 as we learned that we had been OCS in the first race of what would be a no-drop series. After our disappointment faded, we committed ourselves to finishing the regatta as well as we possibly could.

Race day two sent the fleet on a 36mile course around the Ile de Houat. Similar to the first day, we struggled to get off the line cleanly. However, once we got around the weather mark and on to the masthead Code Zero across the Bay of Quiberon, we quickly pulled ourselves into the top 10. Once the angle began to free up, we peeled to the A2 and continued to run down the leaders in our class. In spite of this progress, we struggled once again as we turned upwind for the 9-mile beat up the outside of the Island. Distracted by our lack of upwind performance, we made a few tactical errors and found ourselves back in the thick of the pack, battling it out as we short-tacked the rocky shore.

Now, while we PNWers think we know what it takes to shorttack a shore in foul current, the French take it to another level of commitment and desire. We quickly realized that in order to be competitive we would have to push our limits of boat positioning in order to compete with the top boats. In the end, we found a good balance between safety and performance and rounded the top of the island in the top quarter. Down the run,

we elected to take a couple of jibes toward shore to stay in better pressure and this ended up paying dividends. We ended up finishing third over the line as well as third on corrected time.

The course on race day three sent us on a slightly shorter 26-mile track around the Bay of Quiberon. Jonathan executed a great start and had the boat moving quickly on the first beat in 13-15 knots. We rounded the weather mark just behind the lead SF3600 and quickly set the A2 for the kite reach down to Phare de la Teignouse.

After rounding in third, we were confronted with 2-2.5 knots of crosscurrent taking us out of the bay. We elected to continue straight and hoped to find some relief on the opposite shore. However, in the end, boats that did a few tacks to get farther inside seemed to escape the worst of the current and made gains. We rounded another small island in the southern part of the bay and then began a series of spinnaker reaches back and forth across the bay where we managed to pick off a few boats. After a short final beat and run we managed to cross the line fifth, correcting to fourth.

The final day of racing had a slightly different flavor. An approaching front was forecast to bring an 18-25 knot westerly and plenty of rain to go along with it. We were finally experiencing the Brittany we had come prepared for! We battled it out at the pin but ended up having to tack out and take quite a few sterns early on in the race. Fortunately, Jonathan had the boat dialed in and once I found us a decent lane on port, we drag-raced to the starboard lay line and managed to round in the top 10.

Next up was a fast kite reach in 18-20 knots at around 135-degree true wind angle. On this leg, we managed to pass 4-5 boats in conditions the scow-bow SF3300 relishes! We then had a 5-mile beat up to the Phare de la Teignouse where it was all to play for with a full-on match race versus the JPK 10.30 Léon (the DH winners of the 2021 Fastnet) with Jean-Pierre Kelbert (Mr. JPK himself) and Figaro legend Frederic Duthil onboard. We were able to eek ahead of the French pairing and rounded the next mark having extended from the rest of our fleet. The wind was now consistently over 20 knots and we had a screaming jib reach to the final mark where we set the kite for the run back to the finish. We managed to keep things relatively tidy and continued to extend from our competitors. We finished third over the line and corrected to third in what felt like maybe our most complete performance so far.

Our final scoreline was OCS, 3,4,3 which yielded us 14th overall in a fleet of 58. However, the scoreline alone doesn’t capture the pleasure we experienced, and the knowledge and experience we gained from racing against the extremely competitive French IRC DH fleet. We look forward to returning to La Trinité in July for the first race of the RORC IRC Doublehanded Europeans and lining up with some of these incredible competitors again.

Alyosha and Jonathan had fun, learned a lot, and showed themselves to be a competitive duo!

LIGHT AIR AND MONSTER CURRENT

RACE TO THE STRAITS 2023

Sloop Tavern Yacht Club’s Race to the Straits is, by any measure, one of the most popular Puget Sound sailboat races. It is a two-day, single or doublehanded race from Seattle to Port Townsend (30 miles) for Saturday’s leg one, and back for Sunday’s leg two. Each team is scored on their combined times.

This year’s event, May 6-7, brought vexingly light air and some very strong tidal currents for the 93 participating boats. Most of them were sailing doublehanded with spinnakers, though there was a class for singlehanders and another for doublehanders without flying sails.

The conditions allowed only 20 of 93 to complete the full course to Port Townsend on Saturday. In 9 of the 16 classes, no boat completed the full course, so these classes were scored based on their 18-mile halfway time at the Foulweather Bluff buoy.

For those that did endeavor all the way to Port Townsend on Saturday, the 4-knot opposing tidal current in the afternoon meant that boats played either the Marrowstone Island shore or the Whidbey shore to find the eddies along the beach. If you went north along Whidbey, the better bet was to sail north well into Admiralty Bay before venturing back

across toward the finish. Lek Dimarucot’s J/80 Underdog track showed how much ground they lost trying to cross from the eastern shore to the northern tip of Marrowstone. Still, he says, “crossing to Bush Point paid off because it was dead along Marrowstone until you got closer to the fort.”

While Saturday was challenging, to say the least, Sunday was… oof! Even lighter winds, and currents every bit as strong or stronger early in the day as the fleet tried to make their way around Marrowstone Point against a pumping ebb. Brian Davies, who was sailing on the J/111, Flash described it like this: “Day two started off even crazier at Marrowstone Point, with boats anchored everywhere waiting for the tide to switch, while other boats attempted to cross the current line. I saw a few groundings, but most boats got caught and shot out of the current at the end of the fleet to try again.” The intrepid Wolfe pair on another J/111, Raku described it as a “93-boat park up at Marrowstone Point.”

Continuing south, nearly all of the fleet was once again waylaid by zero breeze approaching Foulweather Bluff. Ultimately, two of the 93 boats were able to finish the full course on Sunday, arriving in Seattle just minutes before

the time cap. Only one boat was scored for a halfway time! The full course finishers were Jonathan McKee’s Riptide 44, Dark Star, and Nicholas Leede’s Farr 39CR, Tachyon. Congratulations to both — for their good sailing, patience, and persistence!

While these weren’t the conditions that anyone would choose, the weather was pleasant, and the good times still rolled at Race to the Straits as always!

Justin Wolfe tries to navigate J/111 Raku through the "park-up" at Marrowstone Point.

J/80 Underdog's track while crossing west from the Whidbey shore.

LIDO 14 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT WILLAMETTE SAILING CLUB’S “TURTLE REGATTA” by

The Lido 14 District VI annual championship “Turtle Regatta” was held May 6-7 at the Willamette Sailing Club in Portland. Vying for the title on the Willamette River between the Ross Island and Sellwood bridges in very light and shifty southerly winds were 18 boats from Washington and Oregon.

What is the Turtle Regatta and how did it get its name? Long ago, when Portland’s Lido Fleet 25 first started hosting a regatta on the Willamette River, a sudden southerly storm blew in midway through a race. It began as a thin black line up river that grew in intensity until the squall exploded, capsizing three Lidos simultaneously, all of which turned turtle, straining the capability of the safety boats.

A Lido Fleet 25 graybeard noted that the blustery weather typical of the first weekend in May was likely to flip boats over most years, and the annual “Turtle Trophy” was born. It is given to the first Lido to capsize at the regatta each year. No Turtle Trophy was awarded this year (though full disclosure demands that I share last year’s winner was me, sailing my venerable Lido #1314, Squirt).

Starts, windward mark roundings, and finishes were all challenging as Lidos beating upstream found their boat speed barely equal to the speed of the current in the shifty wind, favoring the more experienced and conservative crews. The river was running high and the downstream current of about one knot put a premium on local knowledge and tactics.

In one race Saturday afternoon, the wind literally boxed the compass with dramatic lifts and headers that spanned the entire 360 degrees, the subject of continual comment at the exceptional regatta dinner Saturday evening, which featured “a steak called

Tom Olsen

Chuck” and “a salad called Caesar” courtesy of Class Treasurer Christine Stamper and her crew.

Mike Rees’ Race Committee had its own strategic battle to fight and did very well to get six races in over the two days. They rose to the challenge of the conditions that demanded postponement after postponement, finally pulling the trigger when the breezes were consistent enough.

Drew Ehlers and Grace Lane, sailing Lido #2946 DNR, took an resounding 1st place win with 11 points, ahead of Mark and Kathy Sandifer on #5126 Blew Moon with 15 points and Darrell Peck and Lori Daily sailing #6159, who scored 16 points for 3rd Place. All award winners hail from WSC in Portland.

Ben Shanley and Gus Stannard sailing WSC “club” Lido #3584 were awarded 1st Place B Fleet, after a respectable 11th place overall. Ben is 10 years old and his sailing buddy, Gus, is 13 years old! Ben has been sailing for less than two years and regularly races the club Lido with the adults, including his proud dad. Ben is honing his competitive sailing skills with Optis too, and some of us at the WSC see his sailing potential as unlimited.

Thanks to all the competitors and volunteers who made this a great event, as always, and congratulations to newly-crowned District VI champions, Drew and Grace. There’s great momentum with the Lido 14s in the Pacific Northwest, since the Lido 14 National Championship Regatta will take place July 27-30, hosted by the Eugene Yacht Club on Fernridge Reservoir. More than 60 Lido 14s are expected to vie for class honors!

Photos courtesy of Willamette Sailing Club.

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE BOATS FOR SALE

$16,000

1966 CENTURY RESORTER 17

Mahogany inboard. New varnish & bottom paint. Newish 383 (500hp). 50 mph. New upholstery. New cockpit sole. New fuel tank. New gauges. Rebuilt transom. New king Trailer. Ski tow-bar. Nearly new custom cover. 5200 bottom w/glass-epoxy over. Custom teak swim step. Serious inquiries only.

» Contact Jim Llewellyn • (206) 842-4552

• jim.llewellyn47@gmail.com • $16,000

$35,000

1978 NORTH SEA 34 PILOTHOUSE

Comfortable cruiser and NW veteran. Dual helms. Yanmar3GM 30 engine with Autoprop 2- 30 gal aluminum fuel tanks. Pressure hot and cold H20, propane oven, heater. engine heat, Newer 130% Genoa & Harken furling system. Main sail in good condition. Bruce anchor manual windlass. Bottom sider cockpit cushions. Radar & GPS. Moorage available.

» Contact Douglas W. Davidson • (425) 864-1955

• ddavidson@pumptechnw.com • $35,000

$25,900

BOATS FOR SALE

$70,000

C&C 36 FOR SALE

1979 36 ft C&C centerboard. New standing & running rigging, lifelines, stansions, electronics recently. 750 hours Yanmar 30 hp diesel. » Contact Anselm Parlatore

• (360) 739-9865 • anselmparlatore@comcast.net

» Contact Gail Parlatore • (360) 410-0813

• gailpar@comcast.net • $25,900

$4,999

CASCADE 42HS

1976/2006 refit Cascade 42 High Side, factory built, 2020 repower, ocean cruiser turnkey ready. Email for description and equipment list.

» Contact Ace Anderson • (503) 458-6195 • aceandy@centurylink.net • $70,000

$19,000

VENTURE OF NEWPORT 23

Very attractive. Jaunty and sassy looking. Constant admiration at the dock. Swing keel. Pop top giving massive headroom. Most capacious of most any boat of 2000# bare. Very good galvanized. roller trailer (one issue). Excellent cushions.

» Contact Richard Dodge • (206) 954-7208

• dodgerichard027@gmail.com • $4,999

1974 NAUTOR SWAN 38

Classic bluewater cruiser, awesome DIY project. Bottom already sanded, needs new fiberglass and paint. Teak interior in excellent condition. Fiberglass decking and rigging in good shape. Like new custom Yaeger sails. 40 HP Volva Penta diesel engine, low hours. Many extras. Currently dry docked in Anacortes, WA.

» Contact Karl • (360) 298-1023 • barb_richardson@ hotmail.com • $19,000

FOR SALE

$25,000

Quality racer/cruiser. Well maintained, upgraded. Bottom foils faired/painted 2018. Diesel htr, hot water, refer/freezer. Furuno Navnet chart plotter GPS, AIS. Digital charts Vancouver Is. to Oregon. Radar, autopilot. Bimini covers. Perkins M30, full service 11/22, Flexifold 3 blade prop. Full set sails w/ cruising genaker. Lying Brownsville. » Contact John Burton • (360) 731-2461

• Jcburtonclan@gmail.com • $25,000

$17,500

1973 CASCADE 29 SLOOP - BLUEBIRD

Outfitted for cruising – fridge, solar panels, VHF, radar, GPS, inverter, battery charger. New paint topsides, cabin, dodger, mast, bottom. Westerbeke 4-60. New thruhull valves, cutlass, dripless packing, shaft, exhaust. Main, roller furling jib, heavy weather jib, spinnaker. Triple-axle trailer, but will sell boat separately.

» Contact Dan Pietz • (971) 325-6963

• pietzdan2@gmail.com • $17,500

$25,000

BOATS FOR SALE BOATS FOR SALE

$13,500

$3,200

Own a classic traditional: Marie Anne, a Friendship Sloop. Originally gaff rigged fish boats in Maine. Mahogany planking, two-cylinder Yanmar, sails. Needs some work, the owner, deceased, was out of state for eleven years. The boat has been in saltwater storage, under cover. This is for someone who loves a historic type vessel and can fix her up. Negotiable price.

» Contact Paul Kelton • (206) 851-0042

• pkeltop@gmail.com • $3,200

$89,500

Professionally built of mahogany planking over oak frames, Debonair has been lovingly maintained. Extensive upgrades include new electrical and 75hp Yanmar. Consistently turning heads, Debonair is a seaworthy passage-maker, recently completing a 16,000nm tour of the South and North Pacific. From rig to sails, systems to safety, Debonair is voyage-ready. Details: porttownsendboatco.com or www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1973-custom-edsonschock-43'-ketch-8441971/ » Contact Vance Rucker

• ketchdebonair@gmail.com • $89,500

$19,000

WILLIAM GARDEN DESIGN FAST PASSAGE 39

Philbrooks built 1978, Halcyon Passage. Delivered as a “kit boat” and lovingly finished:teak interior, faired clear yellow cedar tongue & groove lining. Some North sails, Leitch McBride cruising chute, Ron Mack storm jib. Perkins diesel, many spare parts. A classic, she would benefit from knowledgable attention and updating. A good price to a good home. » Contact Peter & Patricia Clark • paclark150@gmail.com

• $25,000

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

Tansy Lee is a Gilmer Blue Moon hull, with the interior, deck, and rig, being heavily influenced and nearly identical to a Lyle Hess BCC. Side by side with the Pardey’s Seraffyn, TL is a close sister. Larry was influential in her design and assisted in the construction. She is Mahogany on oak. Cutter rigged w/ main, forestays’l, jib, Genoa, & hank on drifter.

» Contact Ian Weedman • tansy.lee.sale@gmail.com

• $19,000

This 1959 Cheoy Lee Lion combines beautiful classic design with quality teak construction, in a boat ready for cruising. Upgrades and refits have been done by us and the previous owners. Recent haul-out in September 2022 refreshed bottom and topsides paint and replaced the anode so this boat is ready to go.

» Contact Ian Wright • (250) 706-8825

• ianbwright@gmail.com • $13,500

$115,000

World Capable Cruiser. Ready to take you cruising. Beautiful yacht. Cutter rigged with oversized rigging and extra cockpit winches. Lots of newer equipment; 40 hp Yanmar engine, autopilot, radar, stove/oven, watermaker. Cruise equipped; large sail inventory, windvane, heater, fridge/freezer. 2018, engine and power train refurbished at $20K cost. Orcas Island, WA.

» Contact Tom Owens • (360) 632-8896

• svlandsend@yahoo.com • $115,000

$85,000

CABO RICO 38

I reluctantly am selling my boat of 30 years. A fine boat for a couple to cruise. We have cruised her over 10,000 miles, and her previous owner sailed her to the South Pacific (Australia) and back. She has been well maintained over all that time. Easy, comfortable and safe boat to cruise, as well as built to the highest standards.

» Contact George Leonnig • 1(503) 707-6062

• moctobi@gmail.com • $85,000

MOORAGE

BOAT SLIP FOR SALE/LEASE

40 foot slip, C20, at beautiful Pleasant Harbor Marina, Brinnon, WA. Amenities include pub, restrooms, laundry, pool, hot tub, pump out and gas dock. $160 monthly mtce fee plus electricity in addition to lease or purchase.

» Contact diane@pleasantharbormarina.com

• $29,500

31' LOA THOMAS GILMER BLUE MOON TANSY LEE

28' WOOD FRIENDSHIP SLOOP FOR SALE

CUSTOM 43’ EDSON SCHOCK KETCH (1973)

1983 PASSPORT 40

‘91 SCHOCK 35 SAILBOAT

1959 CHEOY LEE LION 35’ SLOOP - DANDELION

MOORAGE

LIBERTY BAY MARINA

40’ - 48’ - 60’ open slips. Great location in Poulsbo, WA Restrooms, Showers. For More Information

360-779-7762 or 360-509-0178

BUSINESS FOR SALE

READY TO LIVE THE DREAM?

Love to sail? Make a great living in the San Juan islands running a fantastic charter business! After 34 years it is time to sell our dream job. We have already done the hard work for you. Dedicated client base, beautiful website, five star reviews. Outstanding modern 55’ sloop with moorage. Great income if you are ready to take the helm of the best job in the world!

islandsailor600@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Full service rig shop serving Puget Sound www.evergreenrigging.com

Cliff Hennen (360) 207-5016 • (206) 718-5582

No ocean too big, no trip too small, no ship too large, no mast too tall, sail or power, we move them all!!! When you are ready, give us a call. Professional service since 1967.

CappyTom@aol.com • (206) 390- 1596

YAGER SAILS & CANVAS

NW Sail and Canvas Makers

509.928.1964

Asymetrical drifters & spinnakers

Classic Sails (Gaff, Sprit & Lugs)

Performance furling & G-SpinnTM Sails

Light Air Sails

we design & make custom sails in washington state!

Fractional Membership makes boating affordable & easy! Your boat is ready when you are! https://sailtime.com/location/anacortes

Based at Elliott Bay Marina

Please contact us to arrange a visit: 206-285-3632

E-mail: info@emharbor.com

Electronics E-mail: larry@emharbor.com

The Systems Specialists www.emharbor.com

PREMIUM 48° NORTH SUBSCRIPTION

Become a part of the 48° North crew! In addition to your magazine each month, with this exciting new subscription offering, you’ll also be supporting 48° North in a more meaningful way. But, warmed cockles are far from the only benefit. Others include:

• Discounts at Fisheries Supply Co.

• One free three-day to the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival ($40 value)

• 10% off of Northwest Maritime Center classes excluding Sailing Club

• Discounts on registration fees for events

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JUST THE MAGAZINE, PLEASE: Our standard subscription gets you 12 months of 48° North and its associated special publications (SARC, Setting Sail, and the Official R2AK Program).

• $39/year (additional fees for First Class forwarding or International)

2008 TAYANA 54 Deck Salon ...... $650,000

Introducing the stunning 2008 Tayana 54 Deck Salon, designed by the renowned naval architect Bill Dixon. This yacht is a true masterpiece, combining exceptional performance and luxurious comfort in one stunning package.

Step aboard and be greeted by a spacious and elegant interior, featuring a raised salon with panoramic views and a beautifully crafted teak and holly sole. The natural light floods the space, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that is perfect for entertaining or relaxing with family and friends.

The Tayana 54 Deck Salon is a joy to sail, thanks to its superior design and engineering. With a powerful yet easy-to-handle rig, this yacht can handle any weather condition with grace and ease. The spacious cockpit is designed for maximum comfort, with plenty of seating and storage space, perfect for extended cruising.

The 2008 Tayana 54 Deck Salon is the perfect yacht for those who demand the best in luxury, comfort, and performance. This yacht is a true masterpiece, designed and built to the highest standards, and is sure to impress even the most discerning yachtsman. Don’t miss your chance to own this beautiful yacht and experience the ultimate in yachting luxury.

LISTINGS

53’ J BOATS J160 ’97 .................... $299,000

“HANA HOU” Fast and sleek cruiser with new electronics, new main and jib, new sail covers, dodger and bimini as well as many upgrades.

41’ DON SENIOR ANTARES

41 ’82 ............ $42,500

“ANTARES” Open transom walk through boarding platform/ swim step. Cold-molded vessel with three skins with epoxy sheathing the entire hull

35’ SCHOCK 35 ’88 ..................... $29,000

“MINX” 1988 Modified Schock 35. The boat is Class legal. Join a competitive fleet, or cruise to the Islands on a performance boat

44’ KELLY PETERSON KP44 ’77 $79,500

“GRACE” Classic performance cruiser. Beautiful lines and well-maintained brightwork. New rigging and chainplates.

41’

41 ’88 49,500

“SHAMROCK” High-performance sailing and spacious accommodations. Ready to win regattas or take the family out.

23’ JBOATS J/70 ’16 ....... $30,900

“JUSTUS”Fun, fast sailing. Stable boat that everyone can enjoy. All carbon mast and boom. In Santa Cruz

20’ SCHOCK HARBOR 20 ’16 ........... $35,000

“SELKIE” Absolutely mint condition! Ready to go day sailing with the family or enter in your local regattas.

“JOLI BATEAU” A very versatile boat in a small affordable package. Great day sailor or even an overnight cruiser.

31’ HUNTER 31 ’87 24,500

C&C

32’ Beneteau

Luna is a beautiful sailboat – modern, practical and a more-thancapable fast cruising yacht. This Hanse 455 was built to rigorous standards in Greifswald, Germany on the North Sea and designed by top naval architects Judel/Vrolijk. Ample beam creates a lavish, warm living space accented by her upgraded American Cherry interior and chocolate colored Monte Portofino leather upholstery. Her three-cabin, two-head layout offers space for both entertaining and privacy. Handling the Hanse 455 under sail is simple. Flat decks surround a large secure cockpit, where all sail controls and halyards are led aft to two electric winches just forward of each helm station. The combination of the stock self-tacking jib and German-style main sheet system allows the helmsperson to trim from either side while under sail. Single-line reefing makes mainsail handling a snap when the weather starts to turn. Luna shows light use and has received fastidious care by her original owners.

SwiftsureYachts

– Ken Monaghan