• Youth Sailing Camp – Monday through Friday 10AM - 3:30PM
  July 6-10 (this is a 5 day camp)
  
• Youth Sail Class Session II – Weekends 10AM - 3:30PM
  July 18, 19, 25, 26, August 1 & 2

This sailing program uses both El Toros and Lidos for instruction. The 8’ El Toro is an ideal boat for a beginner as it has only one sail and is designed to be sailed single-handed. In the El Toro, the beginner has the opportunity to learn both sail trim and steering.

The 14’ Lido class is a logical next step for the intermediate or adult sailor as it is designed for 2 or 3 people and has both a mainsail and headsail. This class of boat is very popular for racing in the Puget Sound.

The classes will cover:

1. How and why sailboats sail
2. Sailing vocabulary
3. How to rig the boat
4. How to steer the boat
5. How to recover from a capsize
6. Basic rules of the road
7. The basic points of sailing and how to trim sails
8. A few of the racing rules
9. How to race (simplified)
10. Sailing games

The fee for the class sessions is $95 plus $12 for the sailing lesson book. The fee is $95 plus $12 for the sailing lesson book. For more information, call Dave French at 678-1799 or Helen Cline at 969-1285. You may also email your questions.

Can’t make it up to Oak Harbor?  Be sure to check out our last year’s Learning to Sail part I, Learning to Sail Part II, and Learn to sail in Portland posts for more options for sailing schools in the Northwest.

These Puget Sound recreational crabbing areas will open at 7 a.m. on the following dates:

• June 18: Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound) will be open seven days a week through Jan. 2, 2010.
• July 1: Marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend, closing the evening of Sept. 7 for a catch assessment. These areas will reopen in the fall if recreational harvest quotas have not been met.
• July 15: Marine Area 7 East (Bellingham and Samish bays) and 7 South (San Juan Islands) will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend, closing the evening of Sept. 30.
• July 29: Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend. The fishery will remain open through Jan. 2, 2010.
• Aug. 12: Marine Area 7 North (Lummi Island/Blaine) will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend, closing the evening of Sept. 30.

Confused by all these “Marine Areas” and where you can drop a crabpot? Check out the WDFW Recreational Crab Fishing page for more information on where to crab, what licenses you need and more information about the $10 “Failure to Report Catch” fee which will be imposed on your 2010 license purchase.

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available in WDFW’s Fishing in Washington pamphlet on the website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.

The Northwest Marine Trade Association’s 31st annual Lake Union Boats Afloat Show got underway this morning at 10am.  Running from September 10th through September 14th, the Boats Afloat Show is the West Coast’s largest floating boat show, featuring over 260 yachts ranging in size from 20 to 143 feet.  Last year, the show attracted over 10,000 boating enthusiasts from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

One of the highlights of the show this year is the presence of the Sea Star - the boat & crew that stars in the television series Deadliest Catch. You can tour the boat for only $1.  The show also offers free activities for the kids - free sailboat rides are available throughout the day.  In addition, the first 300 kids attending the show today received free life jackets from the Boeing Employees Credit Union.

If you would like to attend the Boats Afloat Show, visit www.BoatsAfloatShow.com to get your e-Ticket.  Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12-18, and free for kids under 12. The show runs through Sunday and is open daily from 10am through 6pm.

The contest is fairly straightforward - imagine you’ve been hired to take a cruise and write about it.  Your 1,200-word story about cruising along the coast or an inland lake will bring the reader on board to learn about the people you meet, the history and geography of the area, the experiences you’ve had and (of course!) the sailing you experienced while there.

The deadline is coming up quick - midnight of June 30, 2008 - so brush the dust off your computer and start writing!. The five finalists selected by the editors of SAIL magazine will have their articles posted on sailmag.com. There are no indications of how the winner will be selected (reader vote?  Editor selection?), but he or she will be paid for the winning story, and it will be published in SAIL Magazine.

Whether you are new to sailing or looking to sharpen your racing or navigational skills, the day-long event should be a fun and educational. “For women new to boating, this is a fun, relaxed training opportunity,” says Elaine Dickinson, who heads the women’s outreach effort for BoatUS. “Even seasoned sailors learn something new and have a great time too.”

The day will begin includes a continental breakfast and lunch, along with morning guest-speaker Nancy Erley, a world-class navigator who will share her experiences from her two circumnavigations aboard her 38-foot sailboat Tethys. On-land and on-the water workshops, raffle prizes and a “goodie bag” will round out the day. Participants can pick either a morning or afternoon on-the-water session, and then two onshore/dockside workshops for the other half of the day.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and is limited to the first 50 women. The class fee runs $100 for NWSA members, $130 for non-members. For more details or to register, you can download the registration form, or call Linda Newland at 360.379.1582.

On-The-water Workshops:

• Crew Overboard
  Learn hoe to rescue and retrieve a person of any size from the water
• Take the Helm Intro
  Actual helming experience on points of sail for novices or those without helm experience
• Heavy Weather Sailing
  Learn techniques to depower and safely sail your boat in rough conditions
• Tack and Gybe Smartly
  Hands-on practice in efficiently tacking and gybing to improve boat handling skills
• Spinnaker Sailing
  Learn to fly a spinnaker, rotate crew positions and helm
• Intermediate Sail Trim
  Trim for maximum performance (with helm time)
• Docking & Mooring
  Learn the basics of docking a boat and picking up a mooring

Onshore Workshops:

• Charting 101-102
  Hands-on experience reading charts and plotting courses
• Knots to Know
  Learn to tie basic knots and practice their applications
• Suddenly Singlehanded
  You’re alone on the boat. How to get home and get help
• Care and Repair of Sails
  Learn the type of sails, how to care for them and make repairs underway
• GPS Charting
  Integrate basic charting skills with using your GPS
• Dress for Success
  What to pack in your seabag to keep warm/cool and personal safety equipment needed
• First Aid and Safety Equipment
  Basic first aid for boating and personal safety equipment

Dockside Workshops

• Welcome Aboard
  Basic sailing terminology, guest etiquette, how to use basic onboard systems
• Reefing
  Introduction to reefing to depower your boat in building winds
• Spinnakers
  Learn to pack and set the spinnaker, jibe the pole
• Intermediate Sail Trim
  Learn how to trim to change sail shape and improve performance in all points of sail

Here’s the packing list we came up with for the charter cruise for a family of five (two adults, and three children):

Clothes

• Towels (10 full-size, 10 washcloths)
• Wool winter mittens/gloves
• Hats (wool & sun)
• Underwear (6 per person)
• T-shirts
• Long Pants
• Shorts
• Sweatshirts
• Sweaters
• Windbreaker / Jacket
• Swimsuits
• Socks
• Rain Gear
• Boat Shoes
• Tennis Shoes
• Boots (mid-calf or higher for beach-combing)

Toiletries

• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Hairbrush
• Sunscreen (we’re hoping!)
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Mouthwash
• Dishsoap
• Dove Soap
• Chap Stick
• Nail clippers / Nail scissors

Entertainment

• Books
• Portable DVD-player
• Music CD’s
• Digital Camera
• Flip Video Camera
• AA batteries
• Card Games (2 card decks + SkipBo)

Sailing Equipment / Navigation Aids

• Rigging Knife
• Flashlight w/ batteries
• Binoculars
• Local NOAA Charts
• Compass
• Pencil / Pens / Eraser
• Tide & Current Tables
• GPS
• Whistle
• Life Jackets

Other Cruising Items

• Sunglasses
• Drivers License
• Washington State Boater Education Card (if required)
• Passport (if you plan on entering Canadian waters)
• Insect repellent
• Garbage Bags
• Zip-locks (handy for dinghy trips)
• Canvas Tote-bag, backpack and/or duffle bag
• Sleeping Bags & pillows
• Cell phone
• Power Converter/Inverter for shore power hook-up or battery hook-up
• Money

We’ll update this list as we continue packing, but please let us know if we’ve missed anything that you’ve found important as well!

No sooner were we 15 minutes out of port that the wind and swells started picking up.  Within the next 15 minutes, one of the boats in front of us lost their outboard engine, the swells had increased to 20 feet if they were a foot, and I was leaning overboard relieving myself of that morning’s bowl of cornflakes while muttering “I wish I was dead, I wish I was dead”.

My sea legs developed after that day, and I have never been revisited by a bout of seasickness, but I vividly remember the feeling of nausea and helplessness as my body was rendered a useless lump on the inside of the cockpit.

Fast-forward to today, and I am faced with the unfortunate reality that my spouse suffers from seasickness (also called motion sickness) when stepping on board a sailboat.  With an upcoming 4-day charter in the San Juan islands starting next week (a Beneteau 35′ through Anacortes Yacht Charters), I need to come up with an alternative to Dramamine and the wristbands/seabands, which both came up short on our last daysail to Blake Island.

Seasickness Remedies & Prevention
After a quick consultation to our family doctor (literally, my sister), she pointed me in the direction of scopolamine, a prescription drug patch which is also used to prevent post-operative nausea.  Some quick research on the web also pointed me in the direction of ginger capsules or sucking on crystallised ginger.  We’ll bring both along and report back to let you know which one worked (or didn’t work!).

Wikipedia also mentioned some other natural ways to find relief, including:

• Keeping your eyes directed to the horizon when possible
• Lying down on your back and closing your eyes
• Stay in a position where fresh air is blowing on your face
• Take the helm of the boat to anticipate the movement of the vessel and have something to concentrate on.

Do you have any other solutions or interesting ways to prevent feeling seasick?  Please leave a comment and let us know!

There are many worthy how-to books that you can (and should) read if you are just learning to sail.  But if you are only looking for one book to read before getting on a boat for the first time, Sailing Fundamentals is the book for you.

Sailing Fundamentals is the textbook of choice for most sailing schools across the country, and is published under the banners of both the American Sailing Association (ASA) and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA).  Written by Gary Jobson, Sailing Fundamentals is an excellent guide for novice sailors, and an important tool to achieving your ASA certification for Basic Sailing and Basic Coastal Cruising — essential if you want to charter a boat. 

This book covers everything you need to know to feel comfortable going to your first sailing lesson or on your first daysail, from hoisting your sails to sail trim to anchoring to basic navigation to required safety equipment to docking the boat. It was mandatory reading for all of my students prior to arriving at their first sailing lesson, and it should be the first member of your sailing library as well.

Maybe that’s why I fell in love with the Flip Video when it launched from Pure Digital last year.  I immediately bought two of these new style digital “camcorders” - one for my wife, and one for me - and recommend them to anyone I know.  These camcorders do for video what the digital camera did for photos - They make it incredibly simple to shoot and share video.

Today, Pure Digital just announced it’s latest member to the Flip Family, the Flip Video Mino.  Smaller than most cell phones, you can pick one of these up for only $179.99 and capture every moment from your next sailing trip.

With 2GB of memory, you can capture up to 60 minutes of high-quality video, and easily import the video onto your computer using the attached flip-out USB arm.  No more messing with recording video via Firewire or an expensive video capture card - each video scene is a separate file on the Flip, making them easy to watch and upload to your favorite private or public video sharing site.

And that’s why it’s perfect for your boat.  You can make your friends jealous by firing off a couple of video emails or posting them to your blog or personal website.  And the video quality (4.0mbps) is high enough to get a good (not great) quality DVD from the scenes you like.

Flip Video Mino Features

• Weight: 3.3 oz.
• One-touch recording with 2x digital zoom
• Touch-sensitive buttons for instant recording, playback, fast forward, rewind, pause and delete
• Built-in software compatible with PC or Mac:
  • Instant upload to MySpace, YouTube, and AOL Video
  • One-click emailing of videos and video greeting cards
  • Custom editing of movie mixes, with the option to set them to your own music
  • Capture of still photos from video
  • Order DVDs online and have them shipped anywhere in the world
• TV connection for instant viewing (cable included)
• Tripod mount
• Available accessories (sold separately): AC power adapter, tripod, action mount, and pouch
• Available in black or white; suggested retail price: $179.99  

Sure, the game is pretty basic and could use some refining, but my son burned about 20 minutes playing Shark Attack.  It’s a great way to get your kids introduced to sailing and let them have some fun!