Fair or foul, the Lighted Boat Parade goes on as it has for 18 years. This Saturday it was cold, about 28 degrees and 5 knots of northerly wind. But, no matter. Ten boats put on a beautiful parade along the harbor shoreline lead by the Friday Harbor fireboat and tailed by the sheriff’s boat. Must admit that the flashing blue lights made me a bit nervous.
Miles McCoy, the senior past commodore of the Orcas Island Yacht Club, crewed in “Martha,” probably the oldest active sailing vessel on the Salish Sea, in the Round the County Race 2009 this last weekend. I first met Miles some years back at the Orcas Island Yacht Club after a local race in which I noticed that he was the skipper of the catboat “Sharon L,” which had narrowly beat me out of a place inches from the line. Further discussion disclosed that I had chartered her in 1942 for a honeymoon!
The third annual Mitchell Bay International Regatta took off last Saturday in what was to be the best regatta ever. The two-day event, with nine boats sailing out of Mitchell Bay into Haro Strait, began with winds of force 3, increasing to force 4 in the afternoon. Most of us should have reefed right at the start, but past experience led us to think the winds would die shortly in the afternoon. Ah, not so this time.
The numerals 48’ 32” 45’’’ N and 123’ 00” 04”’ W to most sailors merely defines a geographical position on the earth. But to any Friday Harbor Sailing Club racer passing through the point, it means the end of their race. It happened again Saturday during the annual Single Handed Race.
The Shaw Island Classic, sponsored by the San Juan Island Yacht Club, has been an annual summer sailing event for 39 years as best I can remember. Wally Lum of the Orcas Island Yacht Club has been showing us how to do it from Day 1, mostly successfully. But on Aug. 8, the currents outfoxed him as he finished sixth in class and 32nd overall out of 64 starters.
The Palace Theater in Friday Harbor is making available a limited number of free youth admission tickets to the San Juan County Fair. Each day of the fair, the Palace Theater will give away tickets at the theater from 8:30-11 a.m., or until the day’s supply is gone, whichever is sooner. Each person can pick up a ticket only for him or herself.
Robert Abell in Remedy showed the way, taking 3 hours 15 minutes. Howard Lewis in Liberty followed with 5 hours 13 minutes, John Manning in 6 hours 3 minutes and Ed Hale in C’Est La Vie 6 hours 15 minutes. Fred Hoeppner in Mariana and Bill VanSkyhawk in Scarlet de Haro drew a DNF.
New club racer, Robert Ahbel, in Remedy, a lightweight “J” boat took top honors by winning all four races.
Spring has finally sprung and with it comes the boating community’s acknowledgement. Yes, it’s Opening Day that marks this event when sailors shake the moths out of their sails and the power boaters change the oil in the engines. The traditional parade of boats has a dual purpose: one, the old girl has to get her propelling mechanism up and running. And two, she has to look pretty.
The Shaw Island Winter Classic 2009 sponsored by the Orcas Island Yacht Club was one of the best sailing races in years, Sunday. Squirrelly winds, some with a good punch, and curious currents made for frequent position changes.
Friday Harbor boaters can expect Fair Winds and Calm Seas for the year 2009. How do we know this? Well, for a number of years now, Gloria and John Bentzen, and Judy and Arne Bentzen have celebrated their Danish tradition of “Saluting the Compass” on New Year’s Day by hosting this marine ritual on the waters off Brown Island. The essential element is, of course, the toast to Thor, god of thunder, lightning and wind.
How to simulate being a sailor: 1. Buy a steel dumpster, paint it gray inside and out, and live in it for six months.
Mike Close, owner of San Juan Island Marine Center located under the Downriggers restaurant, called me the other day, saying, “You want to see some beautiful boats?” “Sure Mike, when and where?”, I replied. He then said that I must first see a recent restoration by Art Lohrey that was bobbing at his mooring just outside his office and showroom.
Wow! Gorgeous.
