Sailing the Northwest

I’ve always thought that sailing is one of the best ways to escape the realities of your landlocked life and just be one with nature.  There is nothing like being under sail to relax your nerves and just focus on the here and now.

So I was not surprised when I came across this video of Senator Ted Kennedy going out for a sail on Cape Cod with his wife Vicki, just one day after having been diagnosed with a brain tumour.  Best of all, this was no relaxing daysail, as you will see from the video.  The stiff breeze and some rough water made for some great sailing, as well as some priceless commentary by the press corps at the end of the video:  “I can see it, I can see it….. Oh my God….. Oh my God…. are you kidding me? I’d be coming back in now.”

Congratulations to all who braved the record-breaking temperatures in the Seattle Area and participated in the Sloop Tavern’s 2008 Spring Regatta this past Saturday.  Here are the Top 3 finishers for each class:

We’ve almost hit the one-year anniversary of this video, when the USCG District 13 rescued this sailing vessel off of Lopez Island on May 27, 2007.   It serves as a quick reminder of what can happen on the water. 

May 27, 2007 — The Coast Guard assisted four people on a sailing vessel that ran aground at the south end of Lopez Island, Washington today.

Coast Guard Group Port Angeles received a call from the 36-foot sailing vessel, the Shekinech, that they had ran aground and needed assistance.

A Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles and a Coast Guard 33-foot small response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Bellingham also launched to the scene.

Upon arrival the 33-foot small response boat pulled the Shekinech off of the rocks while the helicopter hovered in case of further complications.

A commercial assitance vessel arrived at the scene and established a tow enroute Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Wash.

Notice the seaweed-fouled anchor in the video, and the fact that not one of the sails are up.  It is unclear whether the anchor slipped or that it was used to try and prevent the boat from hitting the island.  The commercial assistance vessel referenced in the story belongs to Captain Richard Rodriguez, who is a rescue tug captain for Vessel Assist in the San Juans.  You can keep up with his activities at Vessel Assist at his blog BitterEnd, and through his Twitter feed.
 

The Columbia River Gorge is a world-renown sailing area with constant summer winds usually ranging from 10 to 20 knots.  It is a haven for windsurfers and kite boarding, but also offers a great opportunity to learn to sail on traditional boats or dinghies. 

Two sailing schools in the Portland area include the Portland Sailing Center and the Willamette Sailing Club.  Each offers a different sailing experience, with the Portland Sailing Center focusing on larger boats, and the Willamette Sailing School offering the opportunity to learn on small one-design boats, including Optimists and 15-foot 420s.

The Portland Sailing Center is certified by the American Sailing Association, which means you will be able to obtain your ASA certification through completion of their courses.  Class sizes are limited to a maximum of four students, and are taught on their club boats ranging in size from 22 to 39 feet. 

Portland Sailing Center sailing classes include:

Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101) - $299
Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103) - $299
Intermediate Coastal Cruising (ASA 104) - costs vary
Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) - $175
Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106) - $685 + food

The Willamette Sailing Club is for the more adventurous, or for those wanting to learn to sail while being closer to the water.  I’ve always recommended new sailors to learn on the smallest boat available, as they are much more responsive to maneuvers, and the possibility of being dunked means you focus more on what you’re doing!  And during the hot summers, what’s better than occasionally getting a splash of water in your face?

Adult Beginning Sailing Courses through the Willamette Sailing School are available over two weekends with four 4-hour sessions, and Advanced Sailing Courses are taught over four friday evenings from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.  Each course is $90 for WSC members, or $180 for non-members.  Private and family lessons are also available.

For more information, you can contact these Portland Sailing Schools at:

Portland Sailing Center
Harbor One Marina
3315 NE Marine Drive
503.281.6529

Willamette Sailing School
6336 S.W. Beaver Avenue
503.730.7245
wss@willamettesailingclub.com

The Center for Wooden Boats is a unique marine resource in Seattle.  They are a hands-on maritime museum that maintains original historic wooden boats for public use.  With over 600 active volunteers, they are supported by its sailing programs and membership, as well as grants and donations by many local sailors just like you!

“To provide a gathering place where maritime history comes alive through direct experience, and our small craft heritage is enjoyed, preserved, and passed along to future generations.”
- Mission Statement, CWB

Making Youth Sailing Accessible to All
This year, the Center for Wooden Boats has changed how they price their Youth Sailing Programs to ensure their programs are accessible to all youths wanting to learn to sail. 

Their new pricing policy is aptly named “Pay What You Can”. Each learning-to-sail program has a suggested price, but financial assistance is available.  Likewise, if you are able to pay more than the suggested price, the additional funds will be made directly available to the scholarship program to make the youth sailing classes more widely accessible.

The Center for Wooden Boats Youth Summer Sailing program begins after school ends, with the first set of sessions starting June 23.  Classes run in the mornings (10:00 a.m. to 1:oo p.m) or afternoons (2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) for a full week.  The suggested price for this Youth Sailing Program is $175 for the week - quite affordable even without the new Pay What You Can program. 

If you would like to support this program, you can visit their website to learn more about how to donate to the Center for Wooden Boats.

There are basically four major ways you can enjoy Seattle’s Opening Day Boat Parade- line up on the Montlake Cut, actually take part in the boat parade, watch the Windermere Cup races on TV (no fun!), or moor on the Log Boom and throwing a few back with your neighboring boaters.

Each year, the University of Washington and Seattle Yacht Club voluntarily provides a 4,000 foot log boom along the North side of the race & parade course.  It has a reputation for being a long weekend boating party, and boaters can begin the festivities by tying up to the log boom as early as noon on Thursday, May 1st. 

The coordination of the log boom is an all-volunteer effort, and moorage is mostly allocated on a “first-come, first-served” basis, so please be considerate of all officials as you make your way to the boom.  You should plan on arriving early, as the parade route closes at 9:30am, and you will not be able to make your way through Montlake Cut after this point.  You can download the Log Boom Registration Form from the UW Crew website.

The log boom expenses exceed $40,000 each year for the installation, management and insurance, and boaters are asked to make a donation of $10 per foot of beam width.  If you make this donation by April 29th, you will be guaranteed a spot along the log boom if you arrive before 8:00am on the 3rd. 

The Bush Administration apparently thinks so, as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced their Small Vessel Security Strategy today to help reduce terror risks associated with small boats.  DHS is essentially hoping to institute a Neighborhood-Watch type program among boaters to help fight terrorism.  The full strategy is available on the DHS website.

This strategy came as a result of last year’s National Small Vessel Security Summit which brought together over 300 small boating community stakeholders along with federal, state and government leaders.  The Small Vessel Security Strategy identifies four key risks associated with the potential for terrorist use of small vessels:

1. Domestic use of waterborne improvised explosive devices
2. Conveyance for smuggling weapons into the U.S.
3. Conveyance for smuggling terrorists into the U.S.
4. Waterborne platform for conducting a stand-off attack

The Small Vessel Strategy identifies several safety concerns specific to small vessels that can very easily lead to assumptions about future regulations, restrictions and inspection processes.  These safety concerns include:

1. A longstanding public expectation of totally unregulated access and use of U.S. waterways
2. Limited ability to screen for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), especially chemical and biological agents
3. Regular operation in close proximity to critical infrastructure and key resources
4. Lack of a centralized access to hull identification and vessel registration data

By engaging the small vessel community, the DHS is hoping to enlist the tens of millions of recreational, fishing and small commercial vessels to help provide “eyes on the water” and identify suspicious activities.

Increased Security on Puget Sound
Today’s announcement by the DHS is the latest focus on maritime security, and comes on the heals of the launch of the $10 million West Coast Maritime pilot program currently underway on Puget Sound.  This program involves the training and arming of harbor patrols with portable radiation detection equipment, as well as the development of radiation detection technologies to help reduce the chance of small vessels being used to transport radiological or nuclear threats.

So what does this mean for the average Puget Sound boater?  We’ll see how the summer plays out as the DHS develops their small vessel implementation plan to put this strategy in action.  Key to this plan is whether small vessels will be viewed more as a problem, or as part of the solution.

However, with any dependence on recreational boaters to report “suspicious activity”, comes the reality of many false alarms.  I would definitely recommend making sure you have all of the Coast Guard required equipmenton your boat just in case you get too close to the Kingston-Edmonds ferry on your next outing.

Many people will line up on Montlake Cut on Saturday, May 3 to watch the UW crew races in the 24th Anniversary running of the Windermere Cup.  But Opening Day in Seattle is best known for the Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day Boat Parade.

An annual tradition since 1920, the Boat Parade is the largest regional celebration of the opening of boating season in the country, and over 100 participating boats will be decked out for this year’s theme - “A Three Ring Circus”.

The parade will be watched by thousands of spectators and families lining the Montlake Cut, or moored on the 4,000+ foot log boom on the North Side of the parade route.  This year’s crew races start at 10:20am, with the parade officially opening at 12:00 noon.

For many Seattle boaters, this will be the first time out on the water this year.  Be sure to check that you are carrying all of your Coast Guard required safety equipment, and also see if you are required to carry a Washington State Boater Education Card.

The figure eight knot was the first sailing knot that my father taught me when I was learning to sail, and should be the very first sailing knot you learn as well.  Other names for the figure eight knot include the Flemish knot, the Savoy knot, or the Figure of Eight knot.

The primary use of a figure eight knot is to stop lines or sheets from running out of sight or back through any restraining devices.  For example, after rigging your genoa or jib, you want to tie a figure eight knot at the end of your sheets to keep them from running back through the blocks.  Even if the knot jams tightly against the block during a maneuver, it will not bind and will remain easy to undo.  This virtue can also be its main vice, as you may find yourself needing to retie this knot more than once.

The finished figure eight knot looks like its name. To begin, start by creating a loop in the bitter end and then pass the bitter end around the standing end before bringing it back through the loop and tightening to make the figure eight.

Thinking about buying a sailboat? Or do you just not want to make a fool of yourself anymore when you go sailing with your friends?If this is the year you want to learn how to sail, this series will let you know where you can do just that!  Here is part two of the list of sailing schools we’ll be covering (part one can be found here: Learn to sail in the Northwest - Part One):

Gig Harbor Sailing Club & School
Boats: Capri 22′, Catalina 27′, Catalina 30′
Costs: $219 - $473
Email: info@gigharborsailing.com
Phone: 253.858.3626
Description:
Gig Harbor Sailing Club’s award-winning school offers US SAILING certification in its Basic Keelboat curriculum. We have instructors who are tested and licensed U.S. Coast Guard Captains with years of experience making learning to sail safe, easy and enjoyable. Graduates receive certification recognized world-wide through US SAILING, the national governing body for the sport of sailing.

Island Sailing School
Boats: Santana 20′, J-22′
Costs: $375 - $750
Email: isckirkland@islandsailingclub.com
Phone: 800.303.2470
Description:
The curriculum is designed to allow maximum time on the water, setting Island Sailing Schools apart from other schools. Classes are taught by certified instructors and all of our programs come with a guarantee of excellence. For the inexperienced sailor Island Sailing Schools offers beginning and intermediate classes in the Pacific Northwest. Basic Keelboat and Basic Coastal Cruising are designed to introduce anyone to the world of sailing. Each of these courses offer ASA certification and are completed in one full weekend.

Neptune Sailing Club
Boats: J-22 or Catalina 22
Costs: $285-$385 + $20 for training materials
Email: info@neptunesailing.org
Phone: n/a
Description:
The instructional program involves a minimum of 21 hours of instruction—six in an evening lecture/discussion format and at least 15 hours on-the-water.  Additional sessions may be scheduled when weather or other conditions prevent adequate practice. Supervised practice outside scheduled class meetings is often available depending on mutually available schedules of new members and club trainers. 

Given that much of the instructional program is carried out by existing members who volunteer their time, there are generally only two class sessions for new members.  In 2008, the first starts early in May. If a second class is offered, it will begin between the 10th and 15th of June.  Lecture sessions are usually scheduled from 7-9 p.m. on a weekday evening and on-the-water sessions are held on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m. 

Orcas Island Sailing
Boats: 21′ to 26′
Costs: $339 for ASA Basic Keelboat Sailing (includes book and ASA Test fees)
Email: info@orcassailing.com
Phone: 360.376.2113
Description:
This 12 hour course is the first of many designed to train individuals wishing to make sailing a part of their life.  Spread over two days, three hours of classroom instruction plus nine hours of training with a boat will provide you with the backbone of the ASA certification you’ll need to begin your studies.  Space is reserved for each class and is extremely limited (only four students per class) so book early!

Puget Sound Sailing Institute
Boats: 22′ to 42′
Costs: $350 - $560+
Email: pssi@wamail.net
Phone: 253.383.1774
Description:
Offers a full range of ASA certified classes ranging from Basic Keelboat sailing to Advanced Coastal Cruising.  One of the few schools to guarantee wind (or they will reschedule!), and that you will pass the appropriate ASA test for certification (or they will tutor you until you do!). Owner Mike Rice has won an ASA Instructor of the Year award a total of six times.

Sail Express
Boats: 24′ to 28′
Costs: $399 - $649
Email: rob-wood@msn.com
Phone: 425.339.3670
Description:
Sail Express is an official American Sailing Association affiliate sailing school with boats located at Port Gardner Bay on Puget Sound and in Bellevue on Lake Washington. This class is updated every three years and has evolved to become one of the Pacific Northwest’s best sources for learning to sail safely, opening the door to many awesome sailing adventures. They provide you with the tools to build a solid foundation of knowledge and experience.

Sail Northwest Charters
Boats: 32′ or 38′
Costs: $1,285 for seven day course
Email: info@sailnw.com
Phone: 360.305.6169
Description:
Sailnorthwest Charters offers a week long Cruise ‘n Learn class in the San Juan Islands that takes sailors from basic sailing fundamentals, to coastal navigation, to bareboat chartering. Captain Judy Mickel-Griffin is an American Sailing Association Certified Sailing Instructor and has many years teaching in the Pacific Northwest. Classes are taught on a 32′ Islander or our 38′ Ericson with a class size of three or a private class for two. The class size is kept small so each student gets a lot of hands-on experience. The only additional cost for a private class for two is $425.

San Juan Sailing School
Boats: 31′ to 49′
Costs: $1,295 for a seven-day course, + $99 for ASA certification + cost of books
Email: school@sanjuansailing.com
Phone: 360.671.4300
Description:
In just one week in the beautiful San Juan Islands, you can achieve your ASA Bareboat Charter certification and be qualified to charter your own sailboat up to 40 feet in length anywhere in the world.  This week-long learning vacation takes you out in the islands for a wonderful adventure of sailing, exploring and learning.  Or choose the 10-day Broughton Islands option for $1,995.