By Lt. Marcia Rowland, AP
Sometimes just getting to your destination is as much fun as being there. Dick and I aboard West Wind, left the Santa Barbara Harbor on Tuesday the 24th at 1530 and headed for Little Scorpion anchorage. We had a great sail until about the separation zone when the wind dropped, then on went the iron jenny. Arriving at the anchorage after dark made anchoring bow and stern a bit of a test what with other boats without anchor lights. The next morning about 0800 we took off for the Isthmus arriving around 1900.
Neil and Sue Ablitt on Maude spent Monday night at Prisoners after delivering an order of draperies which they had dry cleaned for the Stantons ranch on the island. Tuesday they left for Santa Barbara Island spent the night and also arrived at the Isthmus on Wednesday.
Tom, Monica and Brianna Curry aboard Cartouche also left Santa Barbara Harbor about 1700 on Tuesday heading for Prisoners anchorage. The next day they left for Santa Barbara Island and on Friday they headed for the Isthmus.
On board the Teddy Bear were Don and Inge Crowder and Alvin and Rosemary Rice leaving the Santa Barbara Harbor on Thursday heading for Smugglers anchorage and arriving at the Isthmus on Friday around 1300.
The last boat to arrive was Libertad IV after doing an all nighter from Ventura. Dennis and Virginia Johns and Karen Osgood with friend Scott Burns made a beautiful approach to a mooring. Dennis can make his boat absolutely stand still when approaching the wand - and not turn sideways. Unfortunately Libertad IV was too big for the available moorings, so she had to stand off for 2 hours (after being up all night) and wait until one of the larger boats headed back to the coast.
Santa Barbara had 19 people at the festivities, as some boats had friends come by the Catalina Express.
Friday night there was a get-together on the beach in honor of Marla and John Brown of the Redondo Squadron who celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. Everyone brought snacks ashore and the Browns supplied the Champagne! Great party.
The weather was great, the food wonderful and the games and contests were very much to our squadrons liking. Ron Mathews won one of the door prizes. Our treasure hunt trio of Tom and Brianna Curry and Alvin Rice came in a few feet short of the winners. Sources told me that the winners actually caught a ride back in a little bus, so I feel our team really won.
There was a hors d'oeuvres contest and Inge Crowder and I each were two of the winners in this contest, and if Virginia had her entry in a little sooner its certain she would have been a winner also. Another contest was a table decoration contest. The decorations had to be made from items found on the island. Neil Ablitt and friends made an Olympic head wreath and placed a gold dollar (actually a prize from the treasure hunt) on a Styrofoam base, a tribute to the Olympics. I made an outrigger raft, delivering fruit to the Island, but being attacked by a sea serpent. We both were winners of this contest.
The Squadron made a great showing at this District event considering the distance we have to travel to get there. With the fun we had it shouldn't be too hard to get even more boats and people out next year.
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P/C Dick Rowland, JN
We all know that seagulls are mean, no-good and rotten. One wonders why Noah, a seaman of note, allowed a pair on the Ark, when he left behind such wonderful animals as say, Unicorns. Oh yes they may be funny when they perform their evil on others. But their rottenness really comes through when the mischief is directed at you (or in this case, me).
Most of us know that a bag full of food left on a dock or deck is more or
less fair game. We often watch with glee, the gull depredations as groups planning
to camp on the islands leave boxes of food on the dock when they pick up an
ice cream while waiting for their charter boat to appear. But this weekend the
evil beings struck a new low (or is it a high?). I was working on the boat.
You know one of those four hour jobs that, so far, have lasted four days, with
no end in sight. I had stopped at the local marine store (I think it was Ali
Baba and associates) to pick up a few necessary parts. The parts, in a plain
brown paper bag were with my tools in my dock cart. The bag was quite heavy.
While I was below Marcia yelled that the gulls were dragging my bag into the
water. No food, just parts, and out of the cart at that. Fortunately due to
the wonders of plastic wrapping most of the parts that fell from the bag floated
as did the bag itself, although the gulls didn't help by constantly pecking
at the bag, and we didn't really know what was inside. We were able to retrieve
the receipt using a mop - interesting, but really not much help there. I ran
for the net used to pickup harbor debris but when I finally got back my floating
parts had drifted out of range. Marcia took the net and ran to the downwind
dock to catch things as they floated by. A quick loan of our neighbors dink
and all was returned. The gulls were furious.
A big lesson is learned here. It's not the food the gulls are after, it's the paper bag; beware leaving any bags, no matter what the contents, or weight, lying about unattended. In medieval times Satan was always pictured with wings. Now I know, look closely at these pictures. It was gull wings, and evil still walks (or flys) among us. I'm not sure how much these ancient ones knew about Satan, but they sure knew about seagulls.
Lt. Marcia Rowland, AP
As many of you know, P/C Richard Rowland, JN and I have had a fun place in Mexico on the Sea of Cortez for the last four years. When we first found this little piece of paradise in 1995, we were cruising on our sailboat, Westwind. Our friend and past SBPS treasurer, Jerry Jandt, had a spot in the Tripui RV Resort and he invited us over for dinner. It was a fun little community, originally just a fish camp, that had grown into more permanent living quarters. Ask P/C Lloyd Taylor, SN, he used to camp there and went fishing.
In 2000 Jerry informed us that the place across the street from his was for sale for a rather modest price. Since this community was all on leased land and consisted mainly of house trailers or RV's under palapa style roofs with outdoor living spaces we thought, what do we have to loose. We did recognize the fire danger of a thatch roof and insured ourselves accordingly.
So for four years we continued to make many improvements, took a truck and power boat down and enjoyed the life in the desert by the Sea. During our years of cruising we found that we loved the Sea of Cortez and its many islands. The diving and fishing were great and we decided that this was the area we loved the most in Mexico.
We found the drive down, although not as long as the sail down, became inconvenient, so we started flying down to the airport in Loreto. Friends from Tripui would drive the 20 miles and pick us up. We would go down 3 to 4 times a year for a month or so each time. We were always looking for the "perfect" boat, something a little bigger than Mar Si and with a diesel engine. We wanted to do some serious fishing.
On May 30th we found her located just a block away. As many of you know we were ecstatic and proudly showed pictures of her. We invited Squadron members to come and visit and go fishing in October when the big tuna would be in.
Then came June 26th and the phone call saying everything had burned to the ground. All 80 palapas, 48 boats and numerous trucks and cars, all in 10 minutes. What had happened? Someone was boiling a lobster on his outside stove and he was hot so he went inside his trailer to enjoy the nice air conditioning and fell asleep. The pot boiled dry, the heat caused a grease fire on the stove which caught the hose from his 5 foot tall propane tank to burn. This ignited his tank to blow and that was all it took to start the palm frond roof to go up in flames. Neighbors seeing the flames pounded on his door, so he got out unhurt, but that was the beginning of the end for the rest of us.
What have we learned from this hard lesson? In considering rebuilding the entire community will no longer have palm frond roofs. If we rebuild we will have a tile roof, metal supports and beams and lots of brick work. We never used propane to cook, and when we used the Bar-B-Que one of us was always sitting right next to it with the garden hose turned on. We were lucky in that we had insurance which many friends did not have. However, we are dealing with 3 different Mexican insurance adjusters and at times that has become a challenge with our limited Spanish capability. Now we say IF we rebuild. The big "if" is finding the "perfect" boat, because without it we will not rebuild. So to us it would be a diesel, inboard 22' with a cuddy cabin. Anyone out there have one for sale?
The main things we learned are really concerned with fire safety. Have a plan
for getting out QUICK. From the time the fire started until all 80 palapas were
in flame was only about 5 minutes. That's about 40 acres of houses gone in 5
minutes. If it were at night I suspect the death toll would have been high.
Would any of you have the presence of mind to run - the right thing in this
case - rather than try to stay and fight. I now know what I would do.
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There are many benefits to living in the Santa Barbara area. One of them is
being able to sail during the winter. In January I cruised to Santa Cruz Island
with my son and his friend Luke - it turned out to be a notably nice trip. Besides
the good company, the sun shown, nothing on the boat broke, the anchor held,
we saw Orcas, large fish were caught and the boar I stumbled upon didn't charge
me. And we had a nice sail there and back. It was a perfect trip.
FROLIC left Santa Barbara harbor at about 0900 one morning in early January and motored out and into the mist. The sun quickly burned off the marine layer as it often does in the winter, and by 1000 we were in tee shirts or no shirts with a light breeze, enough to make the main work. As usual we had little idea where we would end up. In winter I prefer the west end of the channel - more options in case Santa Ana winds come up. So we headed more-or-less for the northwest end of Santa Cruz.
Before noon we were sailing peacefully and about that time Luke spotted spouts and tall dorsal fins east of us. Orcas! We fell off and wing-in-wing approached the area where the whales had been. Suddenly we were along side the pod, all headed east at about 4 knots. The bull approached FROLIC and then assumed a parallel course along side us about 50 ft off our port side. I was at the wheel taking pictures and video clips, and Sam and Luke were on the bow. As I shot another clip I was quite startled by a loud splash and wetted by spray and enveloped in a fragrance that is best not described. One of the juveniles had surfaced under the transom and, on its side looking up at us, it passed with its belly within inches of FROLIC's hull. My heart was beating normally within minutes.
We decided to reach in towards Lady's so there'd be more time for snorkeling, etc. Sam and Luke wanted to spear fish. I planned to hike and kayak. Shortly after 1300 we were anchored fore and aft in Lady's. Amazingly both anchors set on the first try - this was a first for me in Lady's, especially the anchor off the beach. The winter west swell broke in the mouth of Little Lady's but except for a little reflection into Lady's we were unaffected and had the anchorage to ourselves.
Sam and Luke made good on their plan and were soon headed off on the kayaks loaded with wetsuits spears weight belts and a desire to kill fish. I followed in the dinghy. They chose to dive on the shore side of the arch just west of Lady's. The winter surge made the area rolly but the water was clear and the fish were plentiful.
The next day Sam and Luke went spear fishing again and I went ashore to hike. I expected them to dive in about the same spot so hiked up out of Lady's and then west towards the area above Arch Rock. It's a steep and in places narrow climb out of Lady's and one must be very careful about the route taken, that is, which pig trail to follow. It's important to have a contingency plan and not hesitate to retreat if the going gets too tough. It's easier to retreat earlier than later and pigs can definitely walk paths that I am not willing to! The easiest route is up the first gully off the beach towards the west. Then turn to the north and wind up to the plateau overlooking the entrance to Lady's and then turn south and head up and up and up the ridge until above the deep valley west of Lady's. The reward for attaining this vantage point is wonderful views of the anchorage and surrounding areas.
From my lofty vantage point I headed west along a trail through the tall grass and cactus. Santa Cruz Island has wonderful flora and fauna and it a treat to be able to enjoy them. The vigorous plant growth was a pleasure to witness, especially the Giant Coreopsis. The scrub oak looked healthy as did the succulents and lichen that are so abundant on the northwest side of Santa Cruz Island.
I hiked west until I thought I was directly above Arch Rock and then made my way (slowly and carefully) down the steep rocky side of the island until I had a clear view of Arch Rock and the intrepid divers' kayaks. I could see them but they did not see me even when I yodeled at them. After admiring the view and satisfying my thirst I headed back up the side of the island. Once I gained the less steep brushy upper area I looked for a convenient trail either east back to Lady's south to the ridge or west towards Cueva Valdez. I was a little surprised when I found the trail and it was occupied by one of its creators - a young boar - I'll call him Bob. When I first noticed Bob we were separated by about 10 feet. Bob took no notice of me and continued snuffling in the brush. I slowly sidled more definitely upwind of him and, expecting the worst, and considered my options. Bob was about my size and had neat little tusks, but though he had more of them, his legs were shorter than mine. But Bob continued to ignore me as much as he could. He stopped when my steps crunched the brush and seemed to look right at me, but after a moment resumed his munching. After about ten minutes, Bob suddenly started and bounded off away from me heading east. I followed slowly and by the time I was above Lady's had startled an entire family from beneath a scrub oak.
When we sailed home it was bright sunny and breezy. We had a glorious sail and arrived back to the harbor in near-record (for FROLIC) time. If all island cruises were like our trip to Lady's, the islands would be more crowded. So I guess it's a good thing that most trips are less than perfect!
Friday at 1700 hours I met Tom Curry down at his boat, "Cartouche", located in marina four. It was going to be a beautiful night with a moon close to being full. The weather report was predicting 4 - 7 foot swells and 20 -25 knots of wind but that wasn't going to happen. There was a south wind blowing that took the steam out of the northwest wind giving us 2 - 4 foot swells and 10 - 12 knots of wind, even in windy lane.
"Cartouche" is 36' sloop made by the Swedish Yacht Company and reminds
me a lot of Neil and Sue Ablitt's Swan boat, "Maude". In the three
years that Tom has owned the boat he has added some great improvements to it.
The radar and electronic chart system is position right in front of the helm
which just made it a dream to navigate with. That was another thing; Tom gave
me the helm for the whole weekend. Not only did he hand over the helm, he set
and pulled the anchor. Being just a basic deck hand and having crewed on many
boats, it was a real treat to experience the joys of being the skipper.
We arrived at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island and were anchored by 2130
hours. Both of us slept hard that night and woke up well refreshed. After we
had our coffee, Tom wanted to show me the Island around Prisoner's. I had never
actually been on land around Prisoner's and was looking forward to it. We fixed
some sandwiches and stuffed a couple of day packs into our dry bags along with
my camera, and proceeded to go ashore using the kayaks that Tom had on board.
After securing the kayaks on shore, we put our shoes on, loaded up our pack
and headed up the road.
After a little ways we came across a couple of park rangers who were taking soil samples. The rangers told us that they were going to put up a gate and a lot of fencing around the island to try and round up the wild pigs. Apparently the pigs are tearing up a lot of the island, digging up soil and up rooting plants. We continued up the road which boarders the land that is owned by the Nature Conservancy and the National Parks. It was really beautiful with the hills so green and the Coreopsis in bloom. When we got to the top we could look down the south side of the island toward Blue Banks. I followed Tom as we took off from the road, through the field of Oak trees and down to a bluff over looking the water. That is were we decided to have lunch. It was a nice day, a little overcast but enough sun to get sunburn.
On the way back and as we got close to Prisoner's Tom had an idea. He said, "Follow me", as he headed down through the water of a creek bed, "I know a short cut". After a little ways we climbed out of the creek bed and through some over grown brush and weeds to some old foundation and a barb wire fence. Tom continued to blaze his way through the six foot weeds until he found a opening in the fence which allowed us to make it to shore. By that time we were ready for a dip in the water before we got the kayaks and paddled back to "Cartouche". We had hiked eight miles that day and were a bit tired.
Once on board I had to have a beer and Tom had his soda. We put some music on and got prepared to barbeque the Tri-Tip. We also put out the flopper stopper, which really stabilize the boat from any swell action. Again, hanging out at an anchorage is so relaxing.
The next morning we both dove into the water knowing that we both needed a bath and then climbed into the kayaks and paddled up to Pelican harbor. We found a good size Jelly fish and then ran into another couple in a kayak who were catching all kinds of Calico fish. It was a nice way to spend a morning before heading back to Santa Barbara.
The sail back was nice with Windy lane producing 18 knots of wind and dieing down to 10 knots by the time we reached the harbor. I just want to say "Thanks Tom; that was a great weekend".
Our cruise to the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club was a winner. Eleven boats
made the trip and 47 people attended the dinner. We want to give a big thank
you to P/R/C Irv Stoudt for putting this event on. As always there were a few
problems that provided nominations for the Boner Award. These challenges invariably
make a cruise memorable and fun.
September our educational classes will be starting. Our P/C Lloyd Taylor has
the staff ready to go. I hope you read my august message and have enrolled in
a class. If you intended to and have not yet done so, please sign up as soon
as possible as materials have to be ordered in advance.
Our scheduled meeting on Wednesday Sept. 3rd is postponed to accommodate our
annual business meeting to be held Saturday Sept. 6th at Giorgi Park 12-6 PM.
I urge all members to attend. Please see the flyer in the August Signal Hoist
for details.
We have at present the best squadron in District 13. Heck, we have one of the
best in all of USPS! As you know, this does not just happen but requires each
member to give a little. By teaching, working on the Bridge, taking classes
and /or joining in on social activities each member provides for greater sense
of community. As they say, many hands make less work and more fun.
This year we find ourselves in need of help on the Bridge. Please don’t
be shy. If you are willing to volunteer, just talk to any one of the individuals
who make up the nominating committee: P/C Tom Koch AP, P/C Wilfred Swalling
AP, or P/C Walter Ware AP. You can also talk to me.
With your help and enthusiasm the Santa Barbara Power Squadron will continue
to be the best of all USPS squadrons.
Don Crowder, Commander
It's true when they say people will travel great distances to see wondrous sights but will ignore their own backyards. On solstice Saturday the Costa de Oro and the Santa Barbara Squadrons joined together for a "cruise" to Lake Cachuma. Those who wanted would campout in a group camping area and the non-campers would come up for a potluck lunch/dinner on Saturday. We found out that the group camping areas can be reserved in advance, but naturally many months in advance.
Of course since it's in our collective backyard it never dawned on any of us that the place would be packed with campers from outside the county, so the Squadrons changed plans to have a Lake picnic rather then a campout. This change required that Lloyd Taylor and Tom and Betty Koch arrive at dawn to insure we had a spot in the day use area.
What is a cruise without a boat ride? We knew that various Squadron members would trailer boats to the lake and give a lake ride or sail to anyone who wanted, but we opted to take a two-hour waterborne nature cruise offered by Ranger Naturalists from the US Park Service. We really hit a winner in our own backyard.
Boarding the boat named the Osprey we were told of the various birds and animals we might see. The Naturalist first listed the animals we probably wouldn't see. For example, in recent times only one bear has been spotted (and it was swimming!).
Bobcats and mountain lions are not rare but so shy that the Ranger offered to
refund the cost of the trip to anyone spotting one. Then, to our sorrow, we
were told that there was little possibility of spotting a bald eagle at this
time of year since five of the seven eagles known to winter over had headed
north for the summer leaving only the breading pair around, but they hadn't
been seen recently. The first group of birds we saw was Clark's Grebes going
through a courtship ritual. We moved to the other side of the lake where we
spotted a family of deer, a quail and a turkey vulture. We saw many more deer,
including a pair of out of season newborn twins that were so small they were
only visible when they jumped in the grass, cliff swallows, starlings and mallard
ducks. Suddenly we saw a large bird flying in low circles over the lake; it
was a bald eagle. The naturalist slowed the boat down and stayed a safe distance
away. We watched while the eagle caught a fish, took it to a tree and had a
nice lunch. We watched it fly to another tree and stretch out its wings. This
eagle is new to the area and it had never been seen and marked before. Then
on to another spot in the lake where we saw more mallards and with them were
rare wood ducks and some not rare American coots with chicks. The chicks have
orange/red heads and shoulder.
On the way back to the marina, the naturalist was so excited about the many out of ordinary things we had seen she almost missed seeing the osprey flying above the boat complete with a fish in its talons. We certainly got our monies worth on this trip.
Back at the picnic grounds the group was bringing out snacks and drinks. When
the boaters came back it was just about time for the main event which was eating
the great food everyone had brought. We had a great day, lots of sunshine and
good food and camaraderie and a bit of a wind, actually a lot of wind. All in
all it was a great day, everyone enjoyed the get together and we would certainly
do it again and perhaps we could reserve a group campground. But even if we
can't get together at Cachuma soon it would be worthwhile to drive up, take
the nature trip and checkout our own backyard
Three boats made the trip to Fry's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. Frolic, sailed
by Steve and Susan Hodges was first to anchor, followed by Valkyrie with Jim
Kearney, Michael Meloy and me, and then Teddy Bear with Don and Inge Crowder
and Dick Rowland. Conditions were ideal-a moderate, but steady breeze, and the
overcast morning, giving way to sunshine in the afternoon. Following an afternoon
of relaxation, we enjoyed Inge and Don's hospitality on the Teddy Bear. Then
as daylight faded, we searched for navigation stars that we could identify-the
objective of the astronomy cruise. There were Spica, Arcturas and Altair easily
visible in the cloudless night and not blocked by the island. Also, the constellation
Scorpius poked its head above the island. We looked for the predicted bright
flash of an Iridium satellite, at 2213 but didn't see it. The prediction of
whether the satellite's solar panel is at the precise orientation to reflect
sunlight to our location is not always accurate, I have learned.
On the return trip on Valkyrie, we experienced the awesome sighting of two humpback
whales, thanks to the sharp eyes of Jim and Michael. The show of these magnificent
leviathans lasted for over half an hour as they fed, breaching and blowing,
oblivious to our presence. We stayed with them under sail most of the time,
and were able to hear the explosive sounds of their blowing.
We agreed that this trip was about as good as it gets!
1. Thar she blows
2. Humpback at 100 yards
The three Santa Barbara Power Squadron P/C's met at 0430 hours to make the final preparations for the beginning of the drive to join with other U. S. Power Squadron District 13 members on the 2002 Lake Mead Cruise. The three, P/C Lloyd Taylor, SN, P/C Nils Lindman, SN and P/C Tom Koch, AP, had met the week before and assigned listings of items to bring for food and camping needs. They had met again the previous evening to pack and ensure all was ready. This Friday morning, all that remained was to load the final perishables in the cooler and get underway. The group had planned to begin the 8-9 hour drive from Goleta, CA to Lake Mead, NV at 0500 hours. Since all preparations were in-order, P/C Lindman's Yukon XL, towing his "NO NAME" 26-foot Sea Ray power boat, left the driveway at 0450 hours.
The drive was uneventful, until mid-way up the long Halloran Summit grade on Interstate 15. As the outside temperature was approaching 105°F, the driver, P/C Koch, was maintaining a speed of 45 MPH when another larger boat, "THE NEXT BEST THING" whizzed by. The remarks, "Wow, what are they pulling that monster with?" When NO NAME refueled in Henderson, NV, THE NEXT BEST THING passed again. The cycle repeated at the Lake Mead Callville launch ramp, and again at the Temple Bar visitor's dock. After a welcome dinner at the Temple Bar restaurant, NO NAME made the final cruise to the planned D/13 campsite at Sandy Point. To the three's surprise, THE NEXT BEST THING was sitting next to the spot where NO NAME anchored and tied up to shore. Lt/Cdr Jan Freeman of Arrowhead Squadron, wife of P/C Bill Freeman, THE NEXT BEST THING's Captain, yelled across, "I told these guys, I bet those fella's with that boat (NO NAME) were with the Power Squadron. Come join us for fresh Strawberry Margarita's." Thus, the new boat and crew were welcomed into the District 13 Lake Mead Odyssey.
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Photo #1: SBPS "NO NAME" with Other D/13 Lake Mead Odyssey Cruise Boats. |
Alphabetically, the participating boats and crew members included: DOCMOE IV, (Skipper D/Lt. Gil Moe and Noel Lloyd); NO NAME, (Skipper P/C Nils Lindman, P/C Lloyd Taylor & P/C Tom Koch); PISANO, (Skipper P/C Dave Demauro and Karen Demauro); SAE SEA BON, (Skipper Cdr. Bob Rumanuk, Lt/Cdr. Janet Rumanuk & P/C Darrell Sausser); THE NEXT BEST THING, (Skipper Lt/Cdr. Barry Freeman, and Lt/Cdr. Jan Freeman); and WINTERHAVEN, (Skipper P/C Bill Winter and his Son Jeff Winter). Ironically, all except the SBPS group on NO NAME were from Arrowhead Power Squadron.
After a warm night and an early breakfast, the entourage gathered with Odyssey Leader, P/C Gil Moe, AP. P/C Moe informed all he had previously hidden several 1?gallon coffee cans at different locations around the lake. Inside the coffee cans were single playing cards individually wrapped with instructions for locating the next "Treasure". Each boat was to locate the cans and select a wrapped card to assemble a "Poker Hand". The immediate instructions were for the entourage to depart Sandy Point at 0900 hours for Iceberg Canyon and again meet with P/C Moe at the end of "N. Howland Cove". At that location, the first can and the desired contents were located. By cruising around the lake to various coves and canyons in search of these elusive coffee cans, the group was introduced to various scenic areas, heretofore unknown. As luck would have it, at the second site, the treasure seekers happened upon several "wild burros" foraging for some small morsel of vegetation.
Photo #2: Wild Burros Foraging for Food in Driftwood Cove |
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The "Treasure Hunt" ended with the entourage re-grouping at Temple Bar (see Photos #3 & #4) in the early afternoon to refuel their boats and bodies.
After lunch, the Arrowhead Squadron members broke out their May newsletter.
It seems the group was in the process of folding, addressing, stamping and stapling
a box-load of over 160 mailings. Since it was nice and cool in the air-conditioned
eatery, the SBPS members started the effort. After about an hour, the mailings
were complete except for a few needing stamps. Most of the packets were mailed
there at Temple Bar. The question of the hour was, "Do you think anyone
will notice where their newsletter was postmarked?"
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Photo #3: THE NEXT BEST THING & Crew. |
Photo #4: SBPS Burgee Flying Next to Temple Bar Mountain. |
Later, all boats returned to Sandy Point. There, the group was joined by SECOND TRUST, with skipper Shirley Chambers and DEO Rick Nachman & D/Lt. Gail Nachman as crew. After everyone was anchored and tied up to shore, each boat brought forth snack items and drinks. It was then, the infamous last coffee can with the fifth card for the Poker Hands was brought out. The three members from SBPS waited with eager anticipation, as they had previously been fortunate enough to select two Aces and an One-Eyed Jack wildcard. They were astonished to find the fifth card picked was another Ace. Hot Damn! Then the joy turned to horror as D/Lt Moe called the Poker player from each boat to come forth into a circle. He then had the "players" begin picking and passing cards all around. The treasured 4?Aces were no more! Still, Lady Luck was with the group from SBPS. For even after all the passing and cursing, P/C Lindman held up the Grand Prize winning hand with THREE ACES. Afterwards, all enjoyed a PotLuck and BBQ on the beach.
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The third day everyone was free to cruise around Lake Mead. The NO NAME crew awoke early and after saying final "Fair Well's", they cruised up the Overton Arm to Cathedral Canyon and Echo Bay Marina. From there, NO NAME was steered toward Hoover Dam. Later the group cruised the shoreline up to and past Callville. Finally, NO NAME was anchored for the evening on a nice sandy shoreline within five minutes of the Callville Launch Ramp. The next day, the boat was reloaded on the trailer, and the happy group headed home, arriving in Goleta about 5 PM. All agreed, it was the end of a very enjoyable four-day weekend!
Photo #6: NO NAME with SBPS Crew Preparing to Say Goodbye to Lake Mead! |
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(Oh, you want to know what the prize was - A beautiful day on the lake with good company, plus a Rand McNally Chart package of Southern California's shoreline.)
Heartily submitted,
P/C T. Koch, AP, P/C N. Lindman, SN and P/C L. Taylor, SN
Most sailing trips to the Islands are uneventful and not worthy
of putting in print. I've been reminded once again not to take local waters
for granted. A three day trip to Santa Cruz Island on LADY STAR, my Mason 43
started out lumpy in the early afternoon departure from Ventura. My friend and
crew Michael Meloy and I wanted to take advantage of the reported forecast
of 15 to 20 knots westerlies. I assured Michael's girlfriend Lenni that this
common occurrence of steep lumpy seas leaving the harbor would smooth out once
in deeper waters.
Nearing the shipping lanes the winds were building to mid twenties. Michael tethered in and using the mast pulpit for bracing put a single reef in the main, the genoa was furled and the staysail now drawing. My assurance to Lenni would not stand; as the seas and winds were continually building the farther we were from the mainland. The winds were now in the high thirties and the seas not exceptionally large, but very steep and breaking. The swell/wind wave interval was very close together, about 6 to 7 seconds. Michael and I were now wet from spray blown off the tops of the swells. With no small craft warnings in the forecast we were expecting a dry crossing. It's funny Mother Nature didn't seem to care about my excuses. Yes, you would think I would have had the sense to don my foul weather gear before getting wet! Going below was like it would probably be in a washing machine without the water .
With Michael and me fully outfitted in our foul
weather gear it was apparent we wouldn't be able to clear the west end of
Anacapa Island on our close-hauled tack. We tacked around northwesterly to gain
needed distance to the west. A southbound freighter required us
to tack before enough westing. We were taking a lot of green water on deck,
spray in the face and eyes that stung. We would not be able to clear the headland
of Anacapa once again requiring a tack. We were getting very uncomfortable and
grumpy. We were slightly over canvassed, but well under control. Speed over
ground very slow. This whole time Lenni was tucked up under the dodger cheering
us on. I've never known such an upbeat person on land, let alone on a pitching
wet boat with two tiring sailors, even while sensing possible peril. It was
hard for us to garner a smile for a photo by Lenni, but her bright smile made
it possible.
We were relieved to now be on a tack that would
clear Anacapa with slow going towards Santa Cruz Island against the
seas. Our thought was that as soon as we got in the lee of the Island the seas
and winds would abate,- because with gusts now in the mid forties we were over
canvassed. Without the absolute necessity to put a second reef in I didn't want
anyone going forward in those conditions. Logic wouldn't prevail today. It would
get worse as we approached the Island. Yes we should have put that second reef
in the main. The axiom " As soon as you think about reefing, do it",
holds true. The seas were now even steeper and breaking. I was amazed at the
continual green water on deck, at times filling the cockpit which drained rapidly
thanks to four large scuppers. Water was even finding its way into my fancy
Henri Lloyds hand warmer pockets. There was continual white water around the
entire boat. I feared my auto inflating PFD would deploy. I suspect this is
what it would be like in a washing machine, with the water.
I found myself bracing my leg against the cockpit
combing as we were healing and getting worn out by steering through the
heavy seas even though Michael and I shared the duties. My braced knee shook
uncontrollably, partially from being cold, wet
and tired and partially from being a little concerned about the conditions.
Michael took a swig from his soda can, which I
thought would have more saltwater ill it than soda. I was right. I didn't dare
take a drink from my soda can as the saltwater probably wouldn't agree with
my already queasy stomach. I didn't have the nerve to ask Lenni to go below
and retrieve me a soda even though I was thirsty. I know she would have with
a smile.
Now in a position to tack towards the anchorage,
Michael and I discussed the details of the tack as we had to deal with the
leeward and windward running backstays (lower mast support for stays ail forces
), main traveler, and the mainsheet all at the same time -all but impossible
short handed. Another first for me, we were unable to tack through the wind
and seas putting us in irons. The second attempted tack, same results, There
was no timing the tack as done in farther spaced larger swells. The breaking
seas were simply too close together. Third time was a charm. I won't bore you
with the required sequence of the running rigging. It was all I could do to
keep from broaching and keep her under control until Michael could complete
the stay changes. I feared we might lose the rig if we didn't deploy the windward
running backstay in a hurry. We got down to business and back in control. (
Note: yes my boat is a HER even if its not politically correct now days.)
Now just to make it interesting, Lenni tells me
there's standing water on the sole. I go below PRONTO. No floor boards
awash. That's a good thing. Take a deep breath, open a floor board whew, bilge
is dry. (We later learn the cause of water
below was apparently a large wave caught the dorade vent breaking the deck bedding
seal.)
While motoring into the anchorage I had difficulty
holding her into the wind. The strong wind would catch the bow off center
and blow down requiring a strong burst of power to get back on my heading. The
sixty-six pound Bruce anchor was lowered and set by the wind alone. No burst
of power in reverse was required as the anchor chain was bone tight. I was thankful
for a large uncrowded anchorage.
We would see wind gusts to fifty knots before the
day was over. While doing periodic anchor set checks Michael insisted I be
observed while on deck in case I was blown overboard. A couple of hours after
sundown the wind completely died. The remainder of our days at the Island were
spent resting, eating and in conversation. The topic that was continually brought
up was how thankful we all were to be on such a capable, seaworthy blue water
cruising boat. We also discussed what
we did right, wrong and how to do it better next time. This was invaluable experience
for us all and we are eagerly anticipating the next sail.
In early February, Dick and I had the opportunity to go whale watching with fellow Squadron members Neil and Sue Ablitt. We left our little "palapa" in Tripui, just outside of Loreto, Baja California Sur, and drove over to San Carlos on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula. There we met the Port Captain of Magdalana Bay, Gregorio Vidal and his wife Trinidad, their children and grandchildren. After a huge lobster feast we settled in for a good nights sleep at the local (and only) motel.
The following morning two pangas were readied, gear and food loaded and off we went. One of the pangas had the head Port Captain from La Paz and his family. We were lucky, our panga had padded seats and Gregorios son-in-Iaw, Marcos, an excellent English speaking guide as our driver.
We saw so many whales' flukes that after about 20 shots I stopped taking pictures. We saw whales "spying", whales breaching, whales mating, whales coming alongside and leaving their "footprints". It was indeed a wonderful day.
Then on to the campground on the island. We brought sleeping bags and a foam mattress, as we had been told we would be sleeping on the ground. Wrong, we had little enclosures, with astro turf big enough for 2 tents, however only one tent was in each enclosure. Cots with an air mattress, and new sheets and pillows. What a life. We were about 200 yards away from anyone else with a view of the bay and island that was spectacular.
The entire weekend Trinidad kept cooking and stuffing us with mostly local fish, shellfish and lobster. I think we each put on about 4 pounds in 2 days.
The next day going back to San Carlos we had a mother and her baby come near us, but not close enough to pet. It was amazing to see the mother come up first, then the baby, however their tails were absolutely even when they went down. We may have been a few days early, as so few babies were seen, and most whales were still at the bay entrance. But we had a wonderful trip and would do it again anytime.
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On February 23rd, Dick and I were fortunate to be among the passengers on the Brig, Lady Washington, for the reenactment of a battle at sea with the Brigantine, Hawaiian Chieftain. This was the day the squadron was having the photo shoot, so it was fun to see if we could get pictures of them, taking pictures of the tall ships.
At first the winds were light, but as the day went on we had fresh breezes and were kept moving around by the crew of 12 as they hoisted the sails, worked the ship and fired the canons. We were really impressed with how much work it took to tack or come about and have a lot more respect for square rig sailors. Although no canon balls were used, the smoke and smell from the firings was realistic. We were told that in a real battle, the best shot the Lady Washington would take would be at the stern of the Hawaiian Chieftain, just short of her letting the canon ball skip, hitting the rudder thus disabling her.
We got off several disabling shots before the Chieftain managed to maneuver to our stern. So as far as I am concerned, we won! When the canons were primed and ready they would be lit and "fire in the hole" would be shouted, which were your instructions to cover your ears.
The crew is almost all volunteers, paying $250 a week to be on board and do a tremendous amount of very hard labor. The women on board had to haul the same amount of weight as the men and were severely criticized if they made any mistake.
Coming back into the Navy Pier the captain misjudged the winds and the wind shadow from the Maritime Museum. The engine is definitely small for the size of the boat and we had to make several passes before we were able to turn around in the narrow channel and tie up. This is the first time these tall ships have visited Santa Barbara and they hope to be back again next year. It was a wonderful experience to see how "real" sailors did it.
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Hawaiian Chieftain as seen from the Lady
Washington
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Blackpowder expert and riffleman for the Lady
Washington
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Lady Washington at the dock
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Merle Blasjo, N
On Saturday 23 February, four of us ventured out on the waters, hoping to be seen through the cameras of others of our group. We were rewarded by the stuff that photographers look for-bright sun to enhance colors and cause sparkle, and by good winds to keep that critical curvature in the sails. That wasn't the only reward; we found ourselves in front row seats for watching the simulated battle between the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. This show by these two replicas of 18th century ships can only be described as spectacular.
Participants on the photo cruise were Rick and Ginger Banta on Wave Dancer, Bob Carmody on Jack Russell, Al and Rosemary Rice on Ingenuity, and myself on Valkyrie with guests John and Anna Campbell. We hope that as we exchange pictures, each of us will see our boats in a way that we don't usually see them-from across the water.
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Lady Washington
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Hawaiian Chieftain
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Lt.Al Riceon the Ingenuity
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P/C RickBant at the helm of Wave Dancer
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Lt.Bob Carmody single-handing the Jack Russell
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Lady Washington - is she on port or starboard
tack?
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ISTHMUS CRUISE by Lt. Marcia Rowland AP
We left on our journey to the D-13 cruise at Catalina on Tuesday September 11, 2001, the day of the tragic events in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. A sad time that we felt was better observed by quiet reflection than constant watching of the TV. Our first stop would be Channel Islands Marina. We had a nice sail down, but had 23 knots of cross wind at the accommodation dock. This made docking at a side tie between other boats a little exciting.
Leaving at 0800 Wednesday morning we decided not to go on a rhumb line course to avoid spending too much time in the shipping lanes, but to head towards Anacapa and make a port turn once we were out of the shipping lanes. This was a mistake as we encountered high winds, 31 knots, and beam swells almost immediately out of the harbor. To get a smoother ride we kept heading up till it looked like we would go through the Anacapa passage. With one reef in the main and the storm jib we thought we could get in the wind shadow of the island before turning to Catalina, but that was not to be since the wind was parallel to the island. As we neared the island, we turned on course to Catalina, took another reef in the main, and rigged the preventer. Wind and swells were now dead aft. With apparent winds of 22 to 23 knots and our speed of 5.5 to 6.2, we had a good sail arriving at the Isthmus at 1900.
It was rather strange to see inbound container ships just stopped (at the time there was some confusion as to whether LA/Long Beach ports would be open). Just prior to arriving, we saw a strange ship approaching the West End and then turning again back towards Santa Barbara Island. It was an U.S. Navy missile destroyer evidently on patrol. The entire weekend while monitoring the radio we never heard them referred to as U.S. Navy vessels, but rather as "U.S. Navy War ships".
When we turned into the Isthmus we spotted a Columbia 50 with a huge American flag flying. We hadn't heard that Congress had requested we all fly the flag, but thought it looked really appropriate. The next day while bending the USPS ensign to our flagstaff, we decided to raise and then lower to half-mast our American flag on the main halyard. By that afternoon, we saw more and more flags. Saturday, as many boats from Los Angeles were arriving, we realized that many of the boats had taken their flags from home and lashed the flagpoles any place that was available. One large sled had about 50 small flags running up its backstay. Almost every boat was now flying a flag; it was a truly beautiful sight. It made us proud to be Americans and part of a great boating community. On Friday, there was a moving memorial service just below the hill overlooking Two Harbors.
We met Jeff Bevilacqua and his crew on Lady Star and Alvin and Rosemary Rice who had come over on the Catalina Express for a great Bar B Que, it's too bad more of the Santa Barbara Squadron didn't participate. The D-13 crowd was somewhat smaller than previous years, but the food was outstanding and we all had a good time.
Upon leaving the Isthmus at 0500 on Sunday heading for Santa Cruz Island, we encountered the same U.S. Naval War ship still patrolling. We also realized that something else was missing and had been since Tuesday. When you are out in the ocean with blue skies above, you always see planes and/or contrails, not this trip. The return was different from the last dozen or so we've made from Catalina. First, the wind was not on the nose, we actually got to sail! Second, there was no wind in the Anacapa passage and mild winds and seas in Windy Lane on Monday giving us a great reach home. This was a time and a trip that we will never forget, from tragedy to patriotism shared with good friends, and boating with good winds and bad.
RAIN OUT THE PAST COMMANDER'S BRUNCH, NO WAY!
It had been overcast and stormy all day Friday. That evening, the calls were rampant. "What are we going to do? Is this thing going to happen or not?" The answer, "It never rains out the Rose Bowl. It won't rain out the Past Commander's Brunch."
Contrary to the statement made at the April Executive Bridge Meeting, there was no Rain Day. Only Saturday 7 April was reserved. The Junior Past Commander arose at 0630 and immediately logged onto the internet Weather Sites via sbpss.org. A radar storm series was downloaded, and the loop was set into motion. The primary storm had passed over, but a secondary wave was headed toward Santa Barbara. Still, it contained very little moisture, and although it was later learned that a downpour occurred in Goleta, the storm didn't look like it would reach the park until after 1000.
So, as many people as possible were told the P/C Brunch was ON! At the last minute, the drive to the park began. First, a stop at the Country Catering Company to pick up four of the most delicious marinated Tri- Tips ever eaten. They had been ordered the night before and were ready for pickup at 0830. Next stop, arrival at Tucker's Grove Park, Area #3. A welcoming committee of Past Commander's (P/C's) and their guests was waiting. The attendees immediately went to work and setup two canopies for protection in case of a downpour. Then, tables were covered with plastic sheeting and set full of Egg Strata, pastry and fruit dishes. Several Past Commander's began the tradition of setting up camp stoves. Then sausage, scrambled eggs, pancakes and French toast were cooked on the hot griddles.
Time passed quickly and, in what seemed like a minute, it was 1000 and over 40 members and guests began moving about the area filling their plates, and themselves with heaps of the delicious Brunch items that were offered. By 1200 the camp was clean and vacant. No one left hungry. A sincere Thank You is offered to the Past Commander's, their spouses and guests for contributing their time, money and foodstuffs to this very successful event. THANK YOU! Oh, by the way. A few drops were felt, but mostly there was warm sunshine, delicious food and sunny faces! It doesn't rain out the Rose Bowl. And, it doesn't rain out the P/C's Brunch. Hopefully all 115+ members and their guests will attend next year.
Respectfully submitted, P/C Tom Koch, AP
TRIVIA
Submitted by Lt Robert B. Carmody, P
HOW COLUMBUS NAVIGATED
There are several methods of keeping track of "the way of the ship" in the midst of the sea. Celestial navigation, electronic gadgets, and deduced reckoning. The admiral had neither the first nor the second, but he had the last and was very good at it. Let no one take from him, he was a great navigator. He made it to the West Indies over and over. As celestial navigation hadn't become of age in his time, he developed great skill of setting a -course, keeping track of time, measuring speed, and then calculating distance run good. This we call dead (deduced) reckoning- then and today. We do not know when the magnetic needle was first used for purposes of navigation but we do know that it had been used for at least three centuries before Columbus. The basics were much the same at today with a few differences. The captain carried many additional needles and a lodestone. He would use the lodestone whenever the needle showed signs of not showing a good "north". Letters were not used as most of the seaman didn't know how to read so N, NNE,E 1 and so on were inscribed on the card. North was marked with the fleur-de-lis then as now. As for variation, Columbus knew little about it but wrestled with it constantly. Fortunately his route crossed areas of little to no variation. As for declination, very little metal and electronics were about (except for the microwaves to cook their pizzas...just kidding!!) In the sixteenth century there was invented the chip Jog which was a billet of wood attached to light line which had knots spaced at intervals. The line was dropped over the transom and the knots paid out. Whatever the number of knots that paid out in one half minute equaled the speed in nautical miles. Hence the term "knots". That multiplied by time gave the distance. However, this was not known to ole Chris as he watched instead the bubbles or the gulf weed speed by and calculated his speed. We do this today... Latitude and longitude was unknown and instead he used "hours west of Cadiz" or 15 degrees per hour. (So what's new?) When approaching landfall, the Admiral used the lead line (doing so even in the middle of the ocean where it never hit bottom.) It was usually 40 fathoms or 240 feet. Most good skippers leaded often and even Chris became careless on one occasion and lost his flagship. No such dead-reckoning navigators exist today; no man alive, limited to the instruments and means at Columbus's disposal, could obtain anything near the accuracy of his results. [thanks to "Admiral of the Sea" by Samuel Ellisot Morrison]
DID YOU KNOW?
The nautical chart as we know it was developed during the Age of Discovery between A. D 1400 to 1700 and was in a large measure a product of a Flemish geographer named Gerhard Kramer. Perhaps you might know him as GERHARDUS MERCATOR. Mercator introduced his chart in 1569 and enjoyed great success... Although his projection was named after him" an Englishman named Edward Wright really did the formulation. Mercator was imprisoned during the Inquisition but was rescued by influential friends and then quickly moved to Germany. There, his family business prospered. (credit due to "Boater's Bowditch" by Richard Hubbard McGraw Hill Pub.) and the word meridian comes from the Latin meaning mid-day. When noon occurs on a meridian (longitude), all places on that meridian experience noon. Therefore before noon become a. m ("antes meridian") and after noon becomes p. m ("post meridian"). Now you know the rest of the story.
WHERE DID ALL THOSE LINES COME FROM
"Lines of latitude and longitude began crisscrossing worldview in ancient times, at least three centuries before the birth of Christ. By A.D. 150, the cartographer and astronomer. Ptolemy had plotted them on the twenty- seven maps of his first world atlas. Also for this landmark volume, Ptolemy listed all the place names in an index, in alphabetical order, with the latitude and longitude of each-as well as he could gauge them fro! traveler's reports. Ptolemy himself had only an armchair appreciation' of the wider world. A common misconception of his day held that anyone living below the Equator would melt into deformity from the horrible heat. The Equator marked the zero degree parallel of latitude for Ptolemy. He did not choose it arbitrarily but took it on higher authority from his predecessors, who derived it from nature while observing the motions of the heavenly bodies. The sun, moon and planets pass almost directly overhead at the Equator. Likewise the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, two other famous parallels, assume their positions at the sun's command. They mark the northern and soother boundaries of the suns apparent motion over the course of the year. Ptolemy was free, however, to lay his prime meridian, the zero degree longitude line, where he likes. He chose to run it through the Fortunate Islands (now called the Canary and Madeira Island) off the northwest coast of Africa. Later mapmakers moved the prime meridian to the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands, as well at to Rome, Copenhagen, Jerusalem, St. Petersburg, Pisa, Paris, and Philadelphia among other places before it settled down at last in London. As the worlds turns, any line drawn from pole to pole may serve as well as any other for a starting line of reference. The placement of the prime meridian is a purely political decision." from LONGITUDE by Dava Sobel