What is a PEE EFF DEE?

Sometimes seemingly basic questions are the best. On Facebook, I was asked, by someone who sails and owns a sailboat, to explain to people, "What is a PFD and what does it do?"

A PFD or "personal flotation device" is Coast-Guard-speak for a life preserver. (In Spanish, it would be a "salvavida"; hence the somewhat repetitive slogan, "Salvavidas salvan vidas".) Mostly when we talk about PFDs we're talking about the wearable kinds, though there are also the throwable ones such as life cushions and life rings, one of which has to be on each boat, along with a proper-fitting, Coast-Guard-approved wearable PFD in good condition for each person on the boat.


Wearable PFDs do several things:

* Keep your head out of the water and help keep you from swallowing or breathing water,
* Keep you from sinking if you are too tired or cold to swim,
* Help you save energy and keep warmer in cold water,
* Make you easier to see by rescuers (by being brightly colored and/or by keeping you up higher in the water).

Note that in cold water, most people only retain enough muscle control to swim for as little as five to ten minutes, or less. And some people are so overcome by cold water shock or the "gasp reflex" that they can lose swimming ability almost immediately. But, if they can keep floating, they may be able to survive for one or more hours, giving them a hugely better chance of being rescued.


Some PFDs do special things.

Kid and pet PFDs often have a handle to help lift the kid or pet out of the water.

"Float coats" and immersion suits are good at keeping you warm as well as floating in cold water.

Some PFDs have special pockets and clips for fishing gear.

Inflatables are lightweight and easy to wear and don't get you so hot and sweaty on a summer day, and some have harnesses so you can clip on to a boat in the ocean.
a few seconds ago.

Some PFDs used by water skiers and jet skiers are designed to be impact-resistant at high speeds and to attach very securely to the wearer.

Some PFDs, such as the big orange ones on ocean ships, also have special reflective patches that make them easier to find by rescuers and are even specially reflective to radar. Some PFDs also have whistles attached, and have places where a flashing light or even an emergency satellite "personal locator beacon" can be attached.


PFDs are classified into types, based on their function and flotation. The wearables are the Types I (with the most flotation and the most ability to turn a wearer face-up) through III. The Type II's are the commonly seen orange "Mae West" vests that can be bought very inexpensively, while the Type III's usually have a more sporty and comfortable look. Although the Type III's have less flotation, they are usually much more comfortable and thus more likely to be worn than the I or II's. The type V's are special purpose, and the type IV's are the throwables (life rings or buoyant cushions).

Comfort and style are also important to sailors. Although the law requires the PFD to be on the boat and easily reachable, sometimes people don't have time to reach for a PFD. This is especially true for younger or older sailors or people with disabilities, for solo sailors, for sailors on small or open boats, at night or in limited visibility, or in bad weather. Although people can debate which is the best PFD, it's really no contest: the best PFD is one that's worn.

March 2006 Foghorn, part 1

The Foghorn

February/March, 2006

Notes from the Commodore

Winter Regatta Results

Land Ho! for Your Mom

Science of the Spreader

Landlubber’s Lies & Sailor’s Yarns

For Sail and Sale

Adams Cup Championship for Women

Rio Grande Sailing Club Schedule 2006

Feb. 18–19 Chute-Out Regatta

March Womens’ Sailing Practice, before & after regattas

11–12 Spring Series 1 (St. Patrick’s Regatta)
Member/board meetings & dinner

25–26 Spring Series 2

April 8–9 Spring Series 3

15 Pickle Race for Youth

22–23 Adams Cup Quarterfinals Championship for Women

29–30 Club Championships

May 13 Joshua Slocum – Single Handled Race

14 Jack and Jill – Couples Race (Women at the Helm)

20 Anniversary Cup – Distance Race
Member/board meetings and dinner

Summer Raft-ups, beer-can races,

June Summer Sailstice

July 15-23 San Diego Got Water? III cruise

Sept. 8–10 Sunrise Regatta (fall events are subject to change)

23–24 Desert Classic Regatta/Fall Series 1, Club Meeting

Oct. 14–15 Governor’s Cup/Fall Series 2

28–29 Fall Harvest/Fall Series 3

Nov. 18 Commodore’s Cup/
Fall Series 4,
Board & Club Meetings

Dec. 2 Match Racing

2 Kris Kringle Party

3 Fun Race

Got a fleet meeting or activity?
Let the Foghorn know.

*Skippers’ meetings are at 10 am, race Saturdays at the Inn at the Butte or Damsite; details will be in each race announcement. Raft-up info will be available from Buzz Biernacki about a week before each raftup. Races & schedules may be adjusted depending upon conditions. Check for updates.

***************************************************************

Commodore’s Notes, February-March 2006

Ahoy… the Club is off and running this year. It might be described as a downwind start. Last year was very successful, in that we had about 120 members in the Rio Grande Sailing Club, which was about a 30% increase from the previous year. So far this year we have several new members.

Last year events included 2 Sunrise Regattas, some fun races and our usual series and cup races. In addition, there were several raft-ups, and plenty of beer drinking and socializing. Last year’s board members were very effective making these things happen, as well as, creating new projects for 2006. Thanks you, to those board members, officers, and volunteers who helped make last year a lot of fun and exciting. Welcome and congratulations to the new members; I am looking forward to working with you in the future.

Please check the list of new Officers and Board Members. One note, Jim Moore chose not to continue as Treasurer, and Braxton Merritt is taking up the slack, handling the duties of Treasurer on a temporary basis. Know anyone who would be willing to take over? Let me know.

Our first, board meeting was on Sunday after the Frost Bite. It was lengthy, but I think we got a lot accomplished. There are 2 new projects this year:
the Mast-up Storage concession and hosting the Adam’s Cup Regatta.

As of February 1, 2006, the Club took over and is running the Mast-up Storage Concession. If you are interested in leasing a space please contact me or Rich Strasia (Rich is chairman of the Mast-up Concession committee). Rich was also point man in getting the RGSC selected as host for the Adams Cup Women’s Championship Regatta, on April 22–23, 2006. Both projects take a considerable amount of planning, soooo….feel free join us. If you are interested in helping, please contact me or any board member.

There is a lot of excitement in the Club about the various events. Plans are being made for Raft-ups, a trip to San Diego, the Sunrise Regatta, the Pickle race, series Races, special cup races, fun races, as well as, numerous parties. The race committee will have a separate fleet for beginning racers this year. For those of you who want to learn but were a little unsure how to get started, this is your chance. These races will be on the same day as those for more experienced sailors, but will have a separate start and a separate course. If you want a seasoned captain to give some helpful hints, we can provide the help. Join us as much as you can, the more the merrier. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let a Board member know. If you can’t make the race or don’t want to race, come join us for dinner afterwards.

The Adam’s Cup Regatta is a nationally recognized competition sanctioned by USSailing, which began in 1926. The Regatta is team racing, for ladies only, using J-24s this year. Teams will be coming from all over our region, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, western Nebraska, and New Mexico. Winners from here will compete in the Area F competition held in Austin on May 6–7. Rich Strasia has been able to get 3 boats with teams from our club to try out. They have been out practicing, with coaches, and all are doing great and very excited. Carol Ann Byrnes, Jo Ann Underwood, and Sue Strasia will be the helmswomen who will be competing. Larry Jessee has devised a selection system. Good luck to all, we support you al

The Frost Bite was well attended, with 9 boats and 40 plus dinners/partiers, Saturday night at the Elephant Butte Inn. Larry Jessee with Braxton Merritt won on the Etchells, followed by Carol Anne Byrnes, and Barbara Hawn was 3^rd. It was cold in the morning but warmed up nicely. It was reported that several of the winners were beaming all over, more than any place else.

By the time you read this, I hope to be in the Caribbean, aboard a 45 ft ketch, named Serenity. We’ll be leaving from St Croix, USVI, sailing to the Grenadines and then making our way back with several stops among the Windward Islands. It should be a great trip.

See ya at the lake, Richard Dittmar

**************************************************************************

Around the Buoys – Chute-Out Regatta, February 17–18

Strong breezes were forecast for the Chute-Out and that’s what we got, and then some. On each day, the fleet completed a distance race south to lake buoy no. 7, north to 25A, and back to the start. Attendance continued to be good for a winter regatta, with three of the big boats and five boats in the fleet for distance racing. Strong winds and equipment problems were challenging some sailors, with a crew overboard on Saturday and two crew who went to the emergency room on Sunday; additional safety measures are being taken to minimize future accidents. Winds at the committee boat were about 18 mph gusting to 27 Saturday and slightly stronger on Sunday, but gusts of 38 mph were recorded elsewhere and freakish winds blasted boats near Horse Island. The big boats and other boats were scored separately but sailed the same course.

Big Boats

Place

1 Hawn, C&C 30 “Luna C”

Fleet

Place

1. S. Strasia, J24 Kachina

2. Pillars, J22 Scirocco’s Song

3. Ellsworth, J24 Coyote

4. Underwood, J24 Cranky Wench

5. Manges, J24 Goat Rodeo

      Around the Buoys, cont.

Frostbite Regatta, January 28, 2006, Wind BN 0-1

January’s Frostbite regatta challenged sailors with erratic, shifty bits of breeze. Some sailors did better than others in figuring out these conditions but all enjoyed a great, well-attended dinner at the E.B. Inn following the race.

1. Larry Jessee, Etchells 22 “Constellation”

2, Carol Anne Byrnes, J24 “Kachina”

3. Barbara Hawn, C&C 30 “Luna C”

4. Russ Jellison, S2-34 “Cultural Infidel”

5. Rich Strasia, Ranger 32 “Shonto”

6. Rick Keffer, Etchells 22 “Intrepid”

7. Stan Hafenfeld, Newport 30

8. Jo Ann Underwood, J24 “Cranky Winch”

Marty Stevenson, Hunter 34 “Windependent”

Arizona Yacht Club 46th Birthday Regatta

Also of note: Many New Mexico boats competed in the AYC Birthday Regatta, held to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma charity. More than 80 boats participated, making for a spectacular start line.

Class: J/24. One design (Finish position) 01/15/06 (7 boats)

Place

1. Susan Strasia, J24 “Kachina”

4. Bob Perry (NMSC), J24 “Wild Thing”

6. Bob Ellsworth, J24 “Coyote)

Class: PHRF Spin High. PHRF (Time on time) 01/15/06 (9 boats)

1. John Savickas, J22 “Imafirst”

5. Jake McGuire (NMSC), Fun 23 “Flybuoy”

Class: PHRF Non Spin. PHRF (Time on time) 01/15/06 (11 boats)

7. Robin McGill, MacGregor 26 “Spirit Song”

Around the Buoys, cont.

Kris Kringle Regatta Results, December 3-4, 2005

Saturday was supposed to be a day for match racing, but a couple of boats didn’t show up. A water-ballast skipper decided prudently not to launch with strong winds forecast, but some of our bigger boats decided the strong winds were just the ticket, so the Ranger 32 Shonto and Hunter 34 Windependent went out. Later, the crew of the S2-34 Cultural Infidel arrived. Our Mac 26 was tapped to be substitute committee boat, but conditions are the lake turned out to be too rough for us to anchor. With Syzygy’s motor popping in and out of the water and the boat bouncing around, we pulled up to Larry and Marty on Windependent where the decision was made not to have a race, but to let the big boats play in the waves.

Later we learned that winds had been steady at 32 mph, at one point and gusting to 47. So, we were happy enough to go ashore and soak in the mineral bath at our motel and spa in Truth or Consequences, then go to the race dinner at the Elephant Butte Inn.

Sunday, though a bit chilly, had beautiful steady winds in the 8 - 12 knot range with gusts limited to about 15 knots or less. Unusually for our lake, the winds were also quite steady in direction, staying within a 30°arc the whole time. Four boats went out for some fine racing.

Race 1

Finish place (uncorrected)

1. Larry Jessee, Etchells 22 “Constellation”

2. Russ Jellison, S2-34 “Cultural Infidel”

3. Sue Strasia, J24 “Kachina”

4. Rich Strasia

Race 2

Finish place (uncorrected)

1. Larry Jessee, Etchells 22 “Constellation”

2. Russ Jellison, S2-34 “Cultural Infidel”

3. Sue Strasia, J24 “Kachina”

4. Rich Strasia

Race 3

Finish place (uncorrected)

1. Larry Jessee, Etchells 22 “Constellation”

2. Russ Jellison, S2-34 “Cultural Infidel”

3. Sue Strasia, J24 “Kachina”

4. Rich Strasia

***********************************************************

Come One...Come All

The Rio Grande Sailing Club February Social at

HOT TAMALES RESTAURANT

1520 Rio Rancho Blvd. (NM 528) Rio Rancho, NM

6:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006

Get updates as to what's happening! Races!
Wild women on the water!
This summer's San Diego adventure!

Raft-ups! Cruisers! Mast Up Facilities!

March in San Carlos, Mexico, and Much, Much More!!

Don't miss out and do bring your mates!

*********************************

For Sale and Sail:

For Sale:

MacGregor 26X 2001, 50hp, VHF, GPS, Paul & Anita Gerlach, 505 757-6021, 670-1192 cell, agerlach@cybermesa.com.

MacGregor 26 classic swing centerboard, 1994, 9.9 hp motor, trailer, spinnaker, genoa, and main, VHF, well equipped, Pat Byrnes,
505 265-6741, rgsc@zianetl.com

J-24, Jenny Bird 1980, J-24 trailer, Nissan o/b, sails incl. spinnaker, $8,000 negotiable, Roger Silverstein, rgrstein@aol.com

J-24 Alter Ego, long a successful J. Rich Strasia, 505 867-0026, j24kachina@msn.com.

Catalina 22, Jim Rolph, 505 589-4659 jimrolph@yahoo.com

Catalina 22 in Phoenix, Karen Duane, sierraproducts@prodigy.net

Islander 32 Whisper, $34,900; call Marty S. c/o
Patrick Petracca, 505 323-1518, ppetracca@aol.com

Don’t forget to try out our website: http://www.rgsc.org and send your comments to our webmistress, Jo Ann Underwood.

Also, all members of the Rio Grande Sailing Club are automatically qualified for membership in the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union.

Boat US:

Mention that you’re a member of the Rio Grande Sailing Club, Cooperating group GA83639S, and save 50% off Boat US dues à 800 395-2628 " www.boatus.com

Foghorn Ad Rates

$ 50.00 Full page 35.00 Half Page

20.00 Business Card Plus 10.00 Display classified

5.00 in-line classified (2 line ad) (Free to RGSC members)

****************************************************************

Landlubber’s Lies vs. Sailor’s Yarns

Sailors have been known to tell a tale or two, and racers are notorious for bluffing competitors on the race course and bragging about their accomplishments, but at least they don’t carry on like landlubbers. To help you tell the difference, here are landlubber’s frequent lies, followed by some “sailorly stretches”.

The check is in the mail.

I'll respect you in the morning.

I'm from the government, and I’m here to help you.

Trust me, I'll take care of everything.

Drinking? Why, no, Officer.

I never watch television except for PBS.

...but we can still be good friends.

Don't worry, he's never bitten anyone.

I've never done anything like this before.

...then take a left. You can't miss it.

Naughty-cal versions:

This boat was never raced except on Sundays by a little old lady from Pasadena.

The diesel had a complete, professional overhaul.

Sure these fish are under the limit.

Our varnish will keep your toerails and handrails looking great for six years!

We always washed, dried, and folded the sails.

The trailer’s never been in salt water.

This boat’s a creampuff; of course you don’t need to bother with a survey.

Rebuilding the head is actually much more pleasant than you'd expect.

Our team has never fouled another boat.

All the electronics check out fine.

This boat has a large, palatial head that's just like the bathroom at home.

This trailer will never give you trouble on the road.

This manufacturer’s hulls never have blister problems.

You don't need to waste money on a pre-filter for diesel fuel.

Sure, you can strip the old paint, re-fair and prep the hull, and slap the new paint on in three to six hours, tops.

Don’t worry, this weekend’s winds are forecast to be perfect, moderate breezes.

We’re the crew who are always reliable and on time.

My crew have never had reason to complain.

These foulies keep 100% of the water out under all conditions.

Really, the boom is perfectly safe and not to be worried about.

I would never barge in on the start line or try to bluff a competitor.

The A fleet boats are never over the line early.

We always sail our proper course.

Don’t worry, the grounding system in this marina is perfectly safe.

I never shout at my crew.

Nope, I’ve never run into a dock. (But the pier is another matter.)

Sure, I’ll remember to get some good beer. Is Lite okay?

It’ll only take you a few hours to fix everything.

We can get your boat part by noon tomorrow.

I know every shallow in this bay; of course I’ve never run aground.
(It was the boat that did it)

March 2006 Foghorn, part 2

Adams Cup Women Rule the Waves

The Rio Grande Sailing Club has been selected to host the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Women’s Adams Cup sailing championships at Elephant Butte Lake, April 22-23, 2006. Competing teams will be drawn from the area covered by the Sailing Association of Intermountain Lakes, which covers Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and western Nebraska.

The top two teams from the quarterfinal will advance to the semifinal, which will be held May 6-7, 2006, in Austin, Texas. The national championship will be Sept. 13-17, 2006, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The U.S. Women’s Sailing Championship originated in 1924 and is believed to be “the first women’s championship ever held in the world,” according to U.S. Sailing, the governing body of sailboat racing in the United States. The purpose of the Adams Cup is “promoting the sport of yachting by encouraging proficiency in seamanship and sportsmanlike conduct in sail yacht racing on the part of yachtswomen.”

For further information, contact Pat & Carol Anne Byrnes, 505 265-6741, rgsc@zianet.com, or Sue & Rich Strasia, 505 867-0026, j24kachina@msn.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Science of the Spreader
by Bruce Krohn

Editor’s preface –

Have you ever wondered why all those wires, ropes, rods, poles,
and stuff are attached to a sailboat mast?

Some of them are for controlling the sails, but others are essential for the mast to do its job
of holding the sails without the whole thing falling down on your head. The mast and its rigging –
the shrouds that go up the mast, the spreader poles that hold them out from the mast,
the stays that hold and sometimes adjust the mast fore-and-aft, and all the pieces of hardware
connected to the rigging – are part of a system that lets the boat go from Point A to Point B
without rig failure (if properly maintained and used!) and without having to have a mast so heavy
as to threaten the boat's stability. The rig makes the mast stronger so that the mast doesn't fail
but instead can withstand the powerful loads of wind-filled sails. 

The mast and rig transmit forces to the hull, allowing the boat to sail over the bounding main.    

The simplest mast system is an unstayed mast where any side force is almost entirely a sheer force on the mast. The only compression force on the mast is the weight of the rig. The sheer force on the mast is translated to a compression force on the deck at the partners and a shear force on the sole at the shoe. However, this takes a rather sub-stantial mast to carry much sail. To reduce weight and windage aloft, stays are added. A stayed mast trades sheer force for a tension force on the shrouds, a compression force on the mast, and a combined tension and sheer force on the chain plates. The sum total of the tension and compression forces involved can be calculated based solely on the mast base- to chain plate distance and the height of the shroud attachment points.

There is a practical limit. The force on the fittings that attach the stays to the mast is a function of the reciprocal of the sine of the angle that the stays make as they meet the mast. As this angle narrows, the sine of this angle goes to zero and the function, (and force), goes to infinity. A minimum of about 12 degrees is the current limit for readily available hardware. On a boat with a typical 5 foot distance from chain plate to mast base, the upper shroud attachment point can be no higher than about 24 feet without violating this “12 degree rule”. One way to have a tall mast and narrow beam, but not violate this rule is to use spreaders to artificially increase this angle.

The spreaders also take tension from the outer shrouds, convert it to compression,
and transfer it to the mast. This imposes a bending force on the mast at the
base of the spreaders. (Note that the spreaders are intended to be entirely
in compression which is why they should exactly bisect the angle they make
with the outer shrouds, i.e. the spreaders should point slightly up).
To counteract this bending force, lower shrouds are attached to the mast
just below the spreader bases and run to chain plates. All shrouds are subject
to the 12 degree rule so a really tall mast may have a series of spreaders and lowers.
The addition of lower shrouds, and possibly separate chain plates, helps divide
and distribute the total tension load between several shrouds and fittings.

Spreaders can also be swept forward, or more commonly aft, to help
control fore-and-aft bending in the middle of the mast. The chain plates,
of course, must also be offset fore or aft to do this. Although spreaders
do increase the angle the shrouds make to the mast and drain some tension
from the outer shrouds, they do not, in any way, alter the basic tension and
compression forces as calculated using just the height of the stayed portion
of the mast and the width of the chain plate base. Any tension drained off the
outer shrouds by the spreaders will show up in the lowers.

The spreader length is also important because this influences the amount of bending force imposed on the middle of a mast. If the spreaders are too long, they have too much leverage and will over bend the mast for a given load. If they are too short, they will not transfer enough force to counter the load imposed by the lower shrouds.

In general, the length of the spreaders is set by the designer based on the specified mast section and the anticipated wind load on the sail plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Mom goes to the Islands (cont.)

This is the continuing tale of the voyage of Braxton Merritt and crew
on the J-40 Your Mom. In this episode, the intrepid sailors, perilously short
on beer and other basic necessities, approach the unsuspecting residents of Hawaii. 

Land Ho! November 21, 2005

The night before last, Bill was sitting in the cockpit, on his watch.
A huge white albatross circled above the boat like it wanted to land.
Bill shined his light at it  After a few minutes, the bird disappeared,
and Bill lost interest. Then, Bill heard a huge thud in the cockpit.
The albatross landed right in the center of the floor of the cockpit.
After drying his pants off, Bill turned his light on the bird.
Apparently, the bird thought this was its dinner light.
The bird came after Bill and his light, climbing over the traveler,
and into the rear of the cockpit. Naturally, Bill climbed around
the other way to the front.  Just to show who was who,
the bird climbed up onto the skipper’s seat, and sat there
staring at the defeated Bill. Bill happily gave him his turn
at the helm until the bird had had enough. After a few minutes,
the bird returned to flight, seeking his next unsuspecting victim.

Yesterday, after swimming, we motored in light wind on through the night
until around 8 this morning.  We caught another wahoo yesterday evening,
and as Bill reeled it in, a huge group of wahoo, mahi-mahi, and some other
fish (trigger?) followed the boat for about 20 minutes.  There must
have been 100+ fish in the group, with some huge mahi-mahi swimming about.
Unfortunately, we had already eaten, so we let the fish go, and continued
on with our lines reeled in.

This morning, the wind clocked around to a beam reach and picked up
just enough to sail.  This whole trip, and this is the first time we have
a decent wind direction! A beautiful day of great sailing, tanning, reading,
and relaxing (with a little exercise).

It's almost completely clear skies with 85 degree temperature.  We got into VHF range
yesterday evening. We plan on getting to Hilo this evening or tonight.  We'll get the
agriculture/customs inspection first thing in the morning when they open.
We'll clean and re-provision the boat tomorrow, and check out some of the big island, Hawaii. 
Don has a house here.  We plan on leaving at sun-up Wednesday morning to go to 
Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. This should take a day and a half, as we cruise the coastlines of Hawaii, 
Maui, Lanai, Molakai, and Oahu.

Kaneohe Bay is where we'll be mooring the boat over the winter. We hope to be there Thanksgiving evening to have dinner with Jo Ann and the boys, Mom, and Don's son, Josh. They all fly in late Weds. night. This should give them Thursday to get settled in and do the girly and kids stuff that “Old Salts” would rather miss.

Your Mom goes to the Islands (cont.)

1:24 p.m., and Chuck just spotted our first small vessel since CA. It appears to be a fishing boat. We're about 45 n.m. from land (we hope!), which is still not visible. Chuck's still tolerable, so far. He also says to get the snorkel stuff in Hawaii. It's easier and cheaper here.

1:30 p.m. I spotted what appeared to be a whale tail! It kept popping up and down, unlike a whale tale. As we approached, it appeared to be a small craft! Was it full of drugs? Were there dead people on it? It was bobbing up and down, and definitely abandoned. Right then... Fish on! What timing. The fish got off, we dropped the head-sail, and motored toward the vessel. We saw it was a 14 ft. dinghy of some sort. We prepared a tow line. International law lets us claim this as ours! Bill has been talking about this the whole trip. "We're gonna find an abandoned ship to claim as ours!" Anyone that's been sailing on "Your MOM" can tell you we need a new dinghy. Can you believe this? Location 19.64.19N, 154.22.22 W

The dinghy turned out to be a solid, metal bottom, plastic top boat. Barnacles were growing over the entire bottom. The top was flat and covered with plastic. The top half of the vessel appeared to be missing. There was a spot for a motor mount on the stern. A few ropes were hanging off the sides and bottom. I'd sure love to know its story. We took a vote, and everyone (against my vote) decided to leave it be. They obviously haven't seen our dinghy. As we sailed away, I saw two or three large fish near the dinghy. Within a minute, we had another large fish on. The fish was off as soon as it was hooked.

2:00 pm: cell phone reception. We all took turns calling loved ones so they could finally sleep at night. Dad called Hilo Customs, State and Federal Agriculture, and the harbor-master. Unbelievably, they seemed more laid back than the ones in San Diego. Pretty much, "Show up, tie up if there's space, and someone might be by manana. Chaca (hang-loose).” Looks like we may be able to have pizza and a cold beer ashore tonight, after all.

About the same time as phone reception, "Land Ho!" We thought we could see it around 30 n.m. out, but now at 28 n.m., it was land fo' shizzle! This was greeted, by dad's approval, with vodka & pineapple mixers. We've waited 16 days for this! We'll set foot on land tonight. Now comes the real danger. Look out Hawaii!

***********************************************

RGSC Lands Mast-Up Contract:

It’s official. The governor has signed RGSC’s agreement to manage the mast-up storage facilities at Elephant Butte Lake State Park.

Call Rich Strasia at 505 867-0026 or 866-834-3697 to rent a space; $240 plus 16.50 tax gets you worry-free access to the lake. But hurry - - spaces are almost all gone; 19 of 22 slots have been rented.

From: Todd Brophy in Colorado:

I hope we get a couple teams to come down. Thanks!

Kristen Zagray and Terry Schertz are both excellent J boat captains and they travel. Kristen is just about to take her J-22 to Texas to race the spring series down there.

******************************************************************

Wanted: Adams Cup Sailors & Volunteers

The Adams Cup regional regatta at Elephant Butte Lake is less than nine weeks away and a huge amount of work remains to be done.

Rich and Sue and Larry and folks will need volunteers to canvass local merchants and organizations for support, provide hospitality and information and registration for teams, preparing information packets, help with providing boats of all sorts (committee boat, mark boats, transfer boat, crash boat, dormitory boats or lodging to house team members), and all sorts of things. The jobs break down into groups:

Before the regatta:

(1) paperwork, forms, research, and information gathering, publicity and media relations, sending out notices of race, race info, and registration forms, race program/souvenir, directions, venue description, crew forms, insurance forms, preparing and distributing large quantities of paper;

(2) canvassing potential sponsors/advertisers for support and resources (a sponsor might give cash or in-kind support, provide discount coupons, or even show up with a keg and a bartender!; we also have a sponsor who is providing local team jackets; in return sponsors could receive program advertising, banner advertising, and naming rights; for example, a merchant or group could sponsor the windward mark, provide fun prizes for each race's top finishers or be the sponsor for the committee boat or supply a mark boat or committee equipment or food or .... );

During the regatta:

(3) on-the-water support via committee, crash/safety, mark boats and technical race management support;

(4) off-the-water support for registration, information, transportation, hospitality, lodging, entertainment for teams and judges, arrangements for spectators, press/media.

*****************************************************

Boating Safety Class

Hello Everyone!

My buddy, Steve Harrington (one of those partying Cochiti guys and also a Coast Guard Auxiliary member) passed this onto me and I thought you might enjoy knowing about the opportunity for the upcoming class! America’s Boating Course in 1 day!

When: Saturday, March 18th, 2006 – Time: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Where: Foothills Church, 12504 Candelaria NE, SW corner of Tramway & Candelaria

Cost: $15 per student (includes textbook & CDROM and completion certificate)

Subjects: Know your boat, Navigating waterways, Legal Requirements, Operating your boat or PWC, Boating emergencies, Getting underway, and more.

Registration: Pre-registration is important to insure availability of sufficient materials.

Contact: Ron at 293-7543 or Ben at 298-0116

Benefits: Save on boat insurance (some agencies offer discounts). Soon a certificate from a certified course will become mandatory to boat on NM waterways, get a certificate before the rush!!

Contact: Steve Harrington
USCGAUX, Albuquerque
505-385-1300

Buzz Biernacki

New Boating Safety Law passes NM Senate & House

The new law will require that PFD’s be worn by children aboard all boats and that youths of certain ages complete a boating safety class before operating a boat. Because of the new law, the New Mexico State Parks Department is looking for volunteer instructors to help with training. Anyone who is interested should contact State Boating Enforcement Officer Stephen Verchinski, 1220 S. St. Francis Dr, Santa Fe, NM 87505, 888 667-2757 476-3390 238-2398, verchinski@state.nm.us .

Racecourse Map

******************************************************************************

Join Us Now for a Variety of Benefits

Racing Programs

Raft-ups and cruises

Foghorn Newsletter

Free Classified Ads

End of season Awards Dinner

Ship’s Store

” Social Events & Fleet Meetings

Reciprocal Courtesies at selected US-Sailing-Affiliated Clubs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name(s) _______________________________________

Address ________________________________

City, State _____________________________ Zip ____________

Phone(s) (home/work/cell) _____________________

E-mail, Notes/Other

Boat Name, Make/size ________________

o Couple (skipper/crew) $30

o Single $25

o Associate (non-voting) $15

o Southern Fleet

o Northern Fleet

Mail form with payment to:

Rio Grande Sailing Club
PO Box 13953
Albuquerque, NM 87192

L.J.: Hey Dennis, you ever see an Etchells this old before?

D.C.: Yeah.

L. J.: From the rear?

Rio Grande Sailing Club
PO Box 13953
Albuquerque, NM 87193

www.rgsc.org

Mast-up hotline: 866-834-3697 (toll free)