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---Favorite Sailing Memory of 2006----

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Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/02/2007 : 11:51:19

Hello members and guest of Catalina, So I too have been sitting at the computer staring at the screen day-dreaming about the upcoming sailing season of 2007. I have been to so many forums reading about peoples stories of sailing I thought it would be nice to have a short thread on your best sailing story of the 2006 season.

Make it long or short, I know that most of us will enjoy reading about the great times that we have had over the last year.

For me,

It has to be one of the first races that we had on the 2006 season. I had a full crew ready to go dockside, we had strong winds that day, in the 20 - 25 knot range. We were down at the dock and I couldn't make up my mind if I was going out to race or not. Being early in the season I still had a list of stuff to take care of on the boat, and as I watched the white caps break along the shore I told the crew that we would just stay in, and work on the boat.

I was having some problems with my spreaders, and I needed to be hoisted up the mast, and take a look at the problem. With a wood chair (slat of a 2x6) under my butt, and tied into and around my waste, I put my life in the control of my crew as they hoisted me up the mast.

Up at the spreader level, I took my tools in hand and started taking the spreaders apart. The wind was gusting at a whole different level than at the dock, and I wrapped my legs around the mast as I took each spreader out of the socket, and attached new hardware. I hate heights, I mean I start to freak out just driving over bridges in the car, and I am now up the mast, sitting on a board, at least two stories up, and taking the mast apart that is holding me up.

After 5 times back up the mast we got the spreaders fixed. We then sat on the boat, watching the boats come back in from the afternoon race. The first in was a Santana 20, the mast had snapped in half, and they ripped both the jib, and main. There were 3 other boats with major sail damage, so I really felt that I made the right choice by staying in and working on my fear of heights.....

Good Times.

C.S. McKillip
Ericson 33

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 12:26:24

Can't decide-

Newport - Ensenada 2006 (dropped out no wind)

http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/newportrace06.html

Crew of Two around Catalina (dropped out too much wind)

http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/crewoftwo.html

Around the Coronados - 7th place PHRF D

http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/roundnados06.html

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 13:36:44

I, too, would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite sailing story, but I think it would be narrowed down to two possibilities; both of which were at the 2006 Nationals.

The first story was the first race. The third member of the team wasn't due for another day, so it was only the wife and I on the boat for the first race. This was our first time on a body of water larger than 1 mile by 5 miles, so the butterflies were in the belly. The wind wasn't blasting, by any means, but it was still imtimidating, especially since around 100 boats were participating in the 10 mile race (much longer than we'd ever done before)

Long story short...we started out last, passed some folks, then the sun went below the horizon. We were only half way done with the race!!! Winds were by now around 20mph and we were having the time of our life, except that it hadn't occurred to us that we'd need a gps to get around the rest of the race course in the dark. So we followed Nin Bimash, rounding up and pinching from time to time to make sure we stayed behind and kept them in view until we finished. Good times.

The next story was the second race, another 10 miler. Our 3rd team mate had arrived and we were out there competing. We passed a C30 like it was standing still, as well as a few of the other C25s, which was really cool. The best part was as we were approaching the Crib, the wind really picked up, we accellerated, and (all in the dark) made the turn around the Crib and finished the abbreviated race. The excitement of "Rounding the Crib" as it has henceforth been named by our team, was almost surreal. The subsequent camraderie we experienced on the way back, if viewed by others, would have lead them to believe we had won the race!

Tons of fun!

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 15:53:19

I just bought my boat in September 06, so getting it out Ponce Inlet and sailing off shore for the first time was just outstanding! Seas were 4 to 6 and the wind was 15 to 20. Here's a pic of the Daytona Beach Coast line from about 6 miles out. For the rest of the story just follow this link http://wave.mysite.com/article.html

Edited by - DaveR on 03/04/2007 20:52:26

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 19:03:45

1. Being escorted into Ingram's Bay (Reedville, Va.) by a pod of dolphins.

2. Taking a female friend of our son's for her first sail:

Brooke

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 20:56:15

Hate to say it, but it was my last sail on Passage--delivering her to her new owners. As is typical when you're trying to actually get somewhere on a sailboat, we were under power 80% of the time.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2007 : 21:01:39

BTW, Chris... Your fear of heights is justfied if you're messing with your spreaders while you expect them to keep the mast from falling down--from the excessive weight aloft! Talk about crawling out on a limb and sawing it off!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/02/2007 21:04:25

Andy_334
Navigator

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USA
206 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2007 : 15:38:45

Easy: Jalepeno's first Thursday night bullet! Regular crew: Rob, Jay, Andy, Stew. We led wire-to-wire.

That post-race beer tasted soooooooooo sweet!

Edited by - Andy_334 on 03/03/2007 15:39:22

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2007 : 16:16:49

Sweet???? You drink the wrong kind of beer.

Edited by - on

Andy_334
Navigator

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USA
206 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2007 : 16:32:28

Technically, you’re correct. Metaphorically speaking……

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 00:57:57

Best memory for me this year - Fourth of July weekend. Spent the night alone on the boat on a mooring. Took it out for a few hours alone on the Pacific before the wife and kids arrived for dinner on the mooring and a trip down to watch the fireworks at Pismo. Spent the next night on the mooring together. The trip to watch the fireworks was mostly motoring in a rolling swell but the solo trip was a real hoot. The ocean is always different each day I am on it and it can be so good for my soul.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 07:55:37

I have two. Actually, it was our first year with our own boat so all days were pretty memorable. However,there are two that stand out.

First was July 4th. On Grand Lake, they have a fireworks display at Duck Creek cove. The display is shot right out over the cove and it is a great site. Since it was our first year, we motored over with the previous owner on his new, to him, boat. We rafted up with 14 other sailboats and joined over 100 boats in the same cove. (Someone later told me it was over 200, all anchored in the same cove.) The fun was trying to get out after dark. There were boats everywhere going in every direction. It was a great experience.

Second was the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was 71 degrees, 8-10 knot winds, and nice and sunny. I took my son Ryan, and a couple of his college friends out for the afternoon. They took tons of pictures that they shared with me. We had lunch, and enjoyed a great afternoon. For Ryan's friends it was their first sail, and they had such a great time that they want to go again this year. It is great sharing your passion with others that have not experienced it.

Now if the weather would just cooperate. I am running low on patience and am itching to get back out.

Edited by - cat1951 on 03/04/2007 07:56:52

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 12:38:48

Crewing for John Vining at the 06 Catalina Nationals. This was my first opportunity to race against a fleet of Catalina's in a large race venue. A super experience. I was particularly impressed with the race committee and crew. Very professionally run series. It was definately a thrill to be jockying for position with 30 or 40 other boats. For anyone whose only experience is club racing, it's something you have to try at least onece in your sailing lifetime.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 18:01:26

Hey Dave, Resize your picture.....

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 19:16:39

I had a great summer. As I teach online in the evenings, I sailed in the morning and afternoons and worked at night. When I was putting the boat away for the winter, I clicked on the Trip meter on my GPS and it shows I put on 328nm this summer. However, I still think my first sail was the best.....the one were everything went wrong. It is too long to post here but here is a link. Cheers.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=12742&SearchTerms=the,whole,story

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 20:41:18

Wow Dennis! Now I don't feel so bad about the time I tried to launch my O'Day Daysailer from a lee shore when the waves tried to put me, my boat and my 16 year old daughter into a cliff when the wind AND MOTOR died. It was just dumb and probably caused by the same "need to get sailing" that you felt. Getting out there took the place of my otherwise intelligent thought processes.

I may never forget my daughter (an experienced small boat sailor) saying "I'm scared Dad". The good news is that all ended well after sculling with the rudder to a nearby safe haven. I then got a little wind and sailed back to the boat club.

What makes this a "Favorite Sailing Memory" is that It solidified the need for more boat in Lake Erie. That led to purchasing Kaija which led to my "favorite sailing memory" of 2007. She was delivered to my marina this afternoon!!!

Edited by - John Russell on 03/04/2007 20:42:25

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 21:12:50

no prob Duane.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 21:29:14

Thanks - not sure if you noticed that when a large pic is posted it blows the screen out of whack.

dw

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 22:19:26

Hi John, It must be sweet and sour getting a boat delivered during the winter months. I had a ball with my boat this past summer and as soon as our new business gets up and running, I will be looking for a bit newer C25. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2007 : 07:50:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 Hey Dave, Resize your picture.....

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I thought the size was fine, he just needed to crop out the extraneous boat.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2007 : 10:29:39

A tie between two:

Friday night with Jim Baumgart during the Newport Beach/Ensenada race. We had been listening to Jim’s jazz collection into the night and I switched the music over to “Sacred Spirit” which is a collection of Native American music. Almost simultaneously we were surrounded by dolphins that followed us most of the night. The sea had a high level of fluorescence that night so every time a dolphin swam by it left a streak of green light in its track. The faster the dolphin the brighter the streak. Accompanied with the Native American chants it was a mystical evening.

Sailed with my wife the thirty miles from Oceanside to Mission Bay to spend a few days celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. The wind was a steady 10 knot breeze and the seas were calm the entire way on a warm sunny August day. We stayed close to shore to enjoy the San Diego County coastal scenery and trolled for barracuda the entire way. It was the best continuous six hour sail I have ever had. And the best part, it was my wife’s suggestion!

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2007 : 17:37:08

I'll never forget that Friday night offshore with the glowing dolphins.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2007 : 15:39:13

No problem resizing Frank and Duane, it's nice when you don't have to lateral scroll to read posts.
And wow Sloop, that 20th Aniv. sail sounds like a great one! I'm just itching to do something like that here on the east coast of Florida. Hopefully I'll be able to get my part-timer to work a few days this spring and get out there!

Edited by - on

C25Guy
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2007 : 16:02:18

Mine would definitely be one of my overnights on Canyon Lake. This trip had one of the most amazing sunsets I'd ever seen. We had the lake to ourselves, too.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2007 : 17:04:28

nice

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2007 : 22:44:20

I think my favorite memory was the first night of Nationals. I don't want to toot my own horn but I did work pretty hard putting it together and was extremely stressed out from all the goings on. After a start that had the rest of the fleet beat by at least 20 seconds we tacked at the first mark only to have the wind shut off on our little corner of the course. Everyone would soon be in the same stuff but not until they caught up to us. Everyone picked a different line at that point and when the leg started we slow and in 6th.

About half way down the leg we started getting some wind and my tactician went down below and came back with a beer and told me to get my Head out of my you know what and start trimming the sails....The wind started getting even stronger and we passed Metzel and someone else right around the crib and we were in a great spot for second. My tactician isn't a night racer so at dusk I took over making the calls and he trimmed main as the wind piped up to 22kts gusting to 27. With a Full number one and non stop sail adjustments we started making on The Red Sled. Every gust brought his bow up and on every gust we dumped main. He slowed down and we didn't. I made two solid tack calls based on a line in the sand and a gps number that put us right on the marks both times shaving even a few more seconds off the Sleds lead. As we rounded the last mark to head for the finish we had Red Sled by a good 30 or forty seconds and we held on to win race one of the event.

It wasn't so much the win or the successful first night that got me, but the stress releiver that occurred as the sun set and the wind picked up and the boat started moving (that and the beer). There is no feeling like it and this was on of the best sails I ever had period. 3 good frieds a beautiful night after a really crappy day.

I know a lot of you guys like to drop the hook or be at the dock by dark - if your running lights still work throw on the Life Jacket and hook into the jack line and take a night cruise.....

Edited by - on

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