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Cat TalesJune 2002 |
Richard Schatz, Commodore
In the "Anything can happen"
category:
It was Saturday Morning, the day of the Icebreaker, and Diane,
my friends and I were heading towards Ray Van Horn's house to join him for a
"three hour cruise" to the South River , and Harness Creek for the raft-up. We
were on time, a feat in itself, and arrived at Noon precisely. We approached
the dock and noticed that the sails were not on yet. "No problem", I thought,
"We'll just hank them on and be off within the hour." This was not to be,
though.
The Main went on without a hitch. When we got to the Roller
Furling System, though, I realized that I wasn't familiar with it, but, "How
hard could it be?", I thought. The next three hours were a comedy of errors.
The Jib went up after quite a struggle, and we realized that we had to attach
it to the tack. One of the Crew (who shall remain nameless to protect me.)
loosened the shackle followed by that horrible sound of stainless steel
bouncing on wood before the inevitable plop in the water. We agonized over the
misfortune of this happening, but it was then that we realized that this part
of the rig should be at the top of the sail. We pulled the jib
down!
O.K., now what do we do? The mandatory search for a similar
fitting in the extra parts boxes proved fruitless, so it was time for a "Road
Trip!" to West Marine. Would they have such an obscure part? Well, Ray would
have made "MacGyver" proud. He came back with a series of four items
jury-rigged to replace this one fitting. However, those parts also needed
slight modifications, which were accomplished with the most unlikely
combination of tools. I'm sure that Ray will win the "Snap-On Tools Award" for
creative thinking for this one.
Holding our breath, we raised the jib
again with the "Rube Goldberg" attachment on the top of the roller furler. It
worked! Now to start the engine and be on our way. Ray tries to turn over the
diesel. It turns over, but doesn't start. He tries again…nothing. He tries
again. What's next? Oh, the glow plug! He holds the key to warm the plug and
tries again. Success! O.K. what time is it? 3:00 p.m. Would we make it? Would
there be enough wind? Would there be any of Mike's Chili left?
We cast
off the lines. Scimitar moves slowly out of the dock. Boing! The back of the
boat jerks slightly and starts mysteriously heading sideways. We look around
for clues to this extraordinary behavior and realize that Ray's new dinghy is
lodged securely under the pier with us gently bouncing at the end of its
painter. I'm sure we all looked (and felt) pretty silly at that moment but we
were able to gracefully dislodge the wayward dinghy and finally,
….FINALLY, leave the dock. I'm sure by now you are all feeling very secure
in the fact that both your Commodore and Vice Commodore were responsible this
series of calamities. Hmmm? Fortunately there were no witnesses.
As it
turned out, there was just enough wind and the rest of the cruise was flawless.
We got to the raftup before the last dinghy left and had a great time with
great friends and terrific food. Quiet Waters Park was a wonderful place for
this event. Everyone outdid themselves in the food department. All was
well.
What is the moral to this story? I'm not quite sure, but
"…messing about in boats" is always an adventure. Just keep a positive
attitude, be creative when you're in a pinch and somehow it always works out.
…. eventually. At least you get a good story to tell!
Fair
Winds,
Ray VanHorn, Scimitar
The 4th of July raft-up will be in
Lake Ogleton this year. Lake Ogleton is on the south side of Annapolis harbor,
between the Bay and Back Creek. It has a well-marked entrance and plenty of
room once inside.
We'll form the raft on Thursday by 4 PM. Then we'll
load everyone on 1-2 boats and go back out into the harbor to anchor in the
front row for the fireworks that evening. Since we want to get a "good seat"
for viewing, we'll get there well before the fireworks begin. We don't want you
to starve, so we will have a potluck dinner aboard the host boat. Bring heavy
hors d'oeuvres, entrees and sides to share. Please contact Ray and Lynn
(410-268-777 or rayvanhorn@comcast.net) to help coordinate dishes. We ask you
to not bring something that requires grilling, as fire and a boat full of
people don't mix well. After the fireworks, we'll return to the raft in Lake
Ogleton.
If anyone would like to join us for the show but aren't
planning to sail that day, give us a call. We can dinghy ashore and pick you
up, then after the fireworks, return you to your car. The fireworks are always
spectacular and even more so when you're on the water. Plan to join us.
Ray and Carolyn Nieves, Classie Chassie 2
Ah, the Annual
CCYC Memorial Rainy Weekend raft-up was replaced by the new theme of Hawaiian
Luau, grass skirts, flowered shirts and dresses, capri pants and hats with
appropriate colored leis, on day one. Day two of the weekend would bring in
another new theme of pirates, parrots, bandannas, knives, gold treasures and
boarding boats. In deference to recent rainy day holiday weekends, not a drop
of rain on our parties.
The first day of the weekend started with
Classie Chassie 2 departing Shady Side, with Ray and Carolyn on board. The
winds were from the north at 20 kts, giving us a great sail across the Bay and
most of the way to Dividing Creek. During the day we crisscrossed between sail
boat racers, heading to Oxford and St Mikes. Upon arriving at our destination,
we set anchor and awaited the arrival of the CCYC boats.
The vessel
Scimitar with Ray Van Horn, Lynn and Lynn's brother Barry (in from California)
pulled in about 1745. Wearing our formal Hawaiian grass skirts (yes, even the
men have formal grass skirts) we greeted our incoming guests with music, leis
and fruit refreshments. At about 1800, the newest CCYC members Mike and Carla
Grimes (Seaquel) arrived onboard and they too would receive a warm
welcome.
Soon after setting up the raft, everyone changed into their
party clothing, the men all put on colorful flowered shirts, shorts and flip
flops, Carolyn wore colorful Capri pants and top, while Carla was outfitted in
a long flowered dress and Lynn worn a flowered blouse and shorts (someone
forgot the coconuts). Now the party started in earnest. As always the happy
hour provided much in the way of liquid refreshments, finger food and good
conversation with a few jokes thrown in for good measure.
Evening one
was fairly uneventful, no dogs fell overboard, no humans got wet either and
nothing got broken. But, we did have near mishap when Lynn accidentally kicked
the dirty dishes. Be careful not to set dirty dishes near Lynn when she is
getting up!
The night activities ended around 2230 with a beautiful full
moon and a quiet peaceful anchorage. The serenity of the evening lasted until
about 0530 when a local "Tom" turkey was trying to voice his need for a
companion. Seems like the spring itch kept the Tom in for a long search, as he
continued his calling for an extended period of the early morning. In that Tom
was dedicated to his mission, he must have found a willing subject to listen,
as he finally settled down and we were able to get back to sleep.
We
departed Dividing Creek by 0930 and the three boats arrived in St Mikes by 1130
hrs. Classie Chassie 2 set the hook in wide-open water. (Keep wide open in
mind.) Later in the day we dressed as pirates for the arrival of Ayewash with
Mike and Bev and Surprise with Ed and Connie on board. We tried to fight off
the invasion of this navy of newcomers and of course failed, for they knew our
bounty of liquid refreshment, food and fun. Now we had five boats safe in
wide-open waters and crews rafted and the happy hour would start
anew.
As evening approached there were severe storm warnings. Since we
were anchored in safe wide-open water, off the shore of St Mikes, we thought it
would be smart to drop a second anchor. Now safer, in wide-open water, with
Classie Chassie 2's 35 lb CQR and Ayewash's 44 lb Danforth, we had no fear. The
party continued.
Soon after dark, Mike Davis noticed a new boat heading
toward the raft-up. Mike said, "looks like someone else is going to be the
sixth boat for the raft-up". Those of us not suspecting anything different,
thought it must be Joan and Wayne Savage. But, ah to our surprise, it was a
surprise guest. No, not the police. During the happy hour, some foolish or
inexperienced novice, immature or someone just pain careless had dropped his
hook within yards of our raft-up. Yes, the raft-up previously in wide-open
water. The inconsiderate captain and crew of one had left the boat, no anchor
light on, and had gone to town. At one point the intruding boat was within 5
feet of us. We felt it was so unsafe we broke a boat off the raft end and after
another hour of waiting called the police for assistance. The police dispatcher
stated that an officer would be right out.
Well as you can imagine,
after about 20 minutes after the police were notified, now close to 2230hrs,
the owner of the intruding vessel arrived. Mike Davis, being the gentleman that
he is, hailed the foolish captain and requested that he relocate his vessel a
safe distance from the raft. The foolish captain, seeing that he was vastly out
numbered by outraged pirates, made a wise decision. He was polite responding to
Mike that he would indeed move his boat and promptly moved. He may have been
extremely more polite had he known that pirates have the common sense to call
the proper authorities to resolve such fool-hearted carelessness. By the way,
the young captain never put on his anchor light. Lucky for him we notified the
marine police that the intruding vessel had been moved, and was no longer
creating a hazard to us.
It seems that even when you set a raft-up
safely in place and it is obvious that your boats will swing with the wind and
currents, you should be able to expect others to honor your anchorage. As with
many other safe boating practices, it holds true that you must keep checking
for hazards, even incoming boats. Maybe next time we set up a raft-up in St
Mikes, we will set up a mine field or floating fence around our
boats.
For those of you who have braved the rain and storms of past
Memorial Weekends, we are sorry you missed this sunshine and full moon weekend
with no rain, some good sailing and lots of fun. As always, food a plenty, some
liquid refreshment and much good conversation, on host boat Classie Chassie 2.
See ya on the Sea. Good sailing!
Ray Nieves, Classie Chassie 2
Starting the Spring sailing
season gives us all a sense of satisfaction, comfort, anticipation and plans to
relax. We should of course be prepared to relax. Why would we need to prepare
to relax?
You may recall one of our guest speakers last year had a "Ten
minute rule" when at anchor. The point was be prepared to move, get underway or
take necessary action in a Timely fashion to be safe for what might happen. In
the same manner, we can have a more relaxed outing or night at anchor if we
take the Time to check our boat for safe boating.
As we begin our safe
"T" checks, who would guess I might suggest take the Time to check your fire
extinguishers? First, is your vessel in compliance with Coast Guard standards?
We have extinguishers in the cockpit area, galley and each sleeping area. While
fire extinguishers are nice to have, they won't be of use unless you know how
to use them. Take the Time, buy a spare and Try it out. If you haven't checked
the pressure on your existing fire extinguishers, look at the gauge and make
sure it is in the operating range! Do NOT pull the pin but occasionally take
the extinguisher off the bracket and shake it to loosen up the dry chemical
agent. Take Time to read the label and instructions. The recommended
extinguisher for boats is "1A1OBC" dry chemical.
If you don't know how
to use the extinguisher on your boat, feel free to contact me or any nearby
fire station personnel prior to your next trip.
For those of you with
engine compartment extinguishing systems, you should have them serviced
annually by certified technicians. Take the Time to become familiar with on
board operations, emergency switches and exhaust mechanisms.
It is
important to consider and keep in mind that dry chemical agents in all fire
extinguishers will replace or remove substantial amount of oxygen to extinguish
the fire. Guess what, you can't breathe without approximately 16% oxygen in the
atmosphere. Use of fire extinguishers in confined spaces, e.g., cabin galley,
engine room, can be very dangerous. Have an escape plan!
Ah, did we
discuss escape plans? Did you take the Time for developing an escape plan in
the event of fire (out of control)? What would you do? By all means, when you
activate the emergency plan, take the Time to put on a life vest, make sure the
crew has life vests, notify authorities of your position, problem and needs -
then do what you can safely accomplish. If all efforts fail, the Captain must
order "abandon ship". Your guests and your crew as well as your vessel are your
responsibility. Take the Time to be ready for emergencies!
Firefighters
and fire inspectors worldwide will tell you that keeping a clean engine
compartment, along with proper storage of all dangerous fuels, compressed
gases, chemicals and equipment will help minimize potential fire hazards.
Generally speaking, a squared-away boat will be a safer boat. Take the Time to
stow your gear.
Electrical fires can often be prevented with good
maintenance. Take the Time to check battery connections, alternator, inverter,
pumps, etc. Make sure that no bare wires are left in areas where they can cause
short circuits. Use electrical tape or wire nuts when making wire splices and
check wires near engine pulleys, or areas where vibration can cause wires to
loosen or break. Check wires running through wire chase openings. Make sure to
use proper wire size for the job intended - undersize wire can lead to failure
and possible fires. Check grounding wires and ground fault protection. Always
keep shore power circuit brakers off when hooking up to shore power (until the
connection is made and secure), and then turn breaker on when safe.
Did
you think I would not mention the galley? Of course the galley and grilling on
board are significant potential fire hazards. But these areas usually only
become a hazard when we introduce people to the area. We all may become
distracted by events around us, but when cooking, our Time must be devoted to
the galley or grill. It is probably sufficient to say never leave an open flame
cooking device unattended (especially on a boat). Never allow young children to
use cooking devices on board. Never hang drapes or towels on the stove, oven or
cooking area. Never, never add lighter fluid to hot coals when grilling and
always make sure there is a working fire extinguisher nearby when cooking. Use
only proper fire extinguishers on grease fires.
There are many ways to
prevent accidental fires; most of them are common sense. Most of you will
hopefully never have a fire. Carolyn and I have had the experience of pulling 5
men off a fishing boat on fire in the West River. They were not prepared; they
didn't even have working fire extinguishers or even an anchor on board. Luckily
for them, we were near by. We even saved the boat despite their lack of
preparedness.
Keep in mind all accidental fires can be prevented with
Thought and planning! Some fires are acts of nature. Your survival may depend
on your planning jime or Training and your preparedness.
One last
thought on the matter of safe "T". Please Take the Time to show your guests and
visitors to your vessel where the fire extinguishers and life vests are prior
to leaving the dock. Take the Time to explain your emergency plan and start
your trip relaxed.
Enjoy your sail; enjoy your summer!
1979 Catalina 30
This yacht has been substantially upgraded and
is in good condition. New shore power system with 3-stage "smart" battery
charger, new 3-stage alternator regulator, battery combiner. Atomic 4 rebuilt
'00. Autopilot, new speed/depth '01, VHF, compass. Main, genoa, storm jib,
spinnaker w/ sock. Pressure water w/ new pump '99. Bimini top. New interior
Sunbrella cushions. Bottom job '01. Detailed photos available by e-mail. Priced
20% below Bucnet and below NADA low retail pricing for quick sale, so will not
last long. Call Matt @ 202-256-9167 or
MLynch357@aol.com.
and
1991 Catalina 42
Cruise equipped, 2
Cabin, 135 RF Genoa, Main w/ 2 reef pts, Mack Pak, Cruising spin., Full cockpit
enclosure plastic and screens, custom woodwork, B&G instruments, A/Helm,
inverter/w Link 2000 Monitor, 5 KW Generator, Reverse Cycle A/C-Heat, Deckwash,
New Avon W/4.5 HP, New Dodger, Bimini, Much more. Immaculate, Never Chartered,
Video available, Cheaspeake. $134,500. Contact Dick and Celeste Nalwasky at
724-942-1115 or nalwasky@cobweb.net
A heads up about the Catalina Rendezvous in August. The deadline for getting your reservation in is July 19th! If you didn't receive the reservation form in the mail already, I've included a form I made that you can use. This was a great time in 1999 and this rendezvous should be even better. If you have any questions, give me a call or go online at www.catalinayachts.com.