Telltales
	August 2004
	WWW.ECSAIL.ORG

COME TO MARDI GRAS! For all of you who only read the headlines, I will get my plug in early. This is the social event for August and you do not have to bring a covered dish (There will be “regular food” as well as Creole food if the latter is not to your liking). Make your reservations NOW. The deadline is August 6th. Send a check and get in on the fun! Don’t worry - you don’t have to wear a costume-just the usual sailing club attire. People caught contributing to the Club: Randy Beattey performed the laborious task of trimming the jungle back along the driveway. Ralph Merriman has installed new exhaust fans in the restrooms. RT Moore and Tim Hollingsworth conducted two well-run regattas. Are you happy with the way the Club is running? September is the time that we nominate candidates for the board and we are always looking for people who are willing to contribute a few Tuesday nights during the year. Maybe you would like to host a social event or be an officer. If you are interested, let us hear from you. If you think the Club should be run differently, or you think it is doing fine and would like to participate, now is your chance. And finally, for those who missed Bill Harrington’s birthday party, I think EJ Williams has a great future as a DJ. Maybe a way to pay for college, dad?! Till next month …

Social

Cheryl Roberts

The 4th of July Pig Roast was a blast with the “Rhythm Wreckers” jug band providing live entertainment. Special thanks go to Greg Branham and Carole Dellova, and their crew: Fran & Ed Rice, Greg Marx, Bob Wasson, George Alyea, Lee Check, and Sandy Boomer who did a wonderful job of decorating and getting the food ready for a wonderful afternoon. We had perfect weather and a great turnout. Hard to believe August is here and the Fall Series racing has begun. In August, we are all looking forward to the Mardi Gras party on August 14th hosted by the Commodore (Don Birt) and his First Mate (Judy). This will be a catered event, so don’t forget to put your check in the mail to Don and Judy before August 6th. Three weeks later, on Monday, September 6th at 5:00pm, Rich & Angie White will be hosting the Labor Day cookout. The Club will be providing hot dogs and hamburgers. Members are asked to bring a covered dish to share. The summer is quickly winding up and we are going to be preparing our budgets for next year. If anyone has any suggestions for future social events, please contact me at 846-0211 or E-Mail cyroberts@indy.rr.com. Please be sure to thank the hosts of the social events who volunteer their time to make our Club so great.

Harbormaster

Bob Hickok

Jim Dolder

If you want to earn a few work credits toward next year’s dues at the fabulous rate of $7.50 per hour, the Harbormaster’s list has some jobs to do. 1. The top of the pressure sprayer, which is made currently of half inch plywood has been beaten by the weather and needs to be replaced. Perhaps a couple hinges too. Look it over and let us know what you think. 2. If anyone has a log splitter we can borrow, a hearty gang of able bodied sailors would like to split the big pieces of logs we have near the playground into little pieces. If the experienced log splitter could also show us slow learners (this could take a couple of hours) how to split these logs, that too would be appreciated. Seems like this should be a cool weather project—perhaps October? We’ll firm up a date later. 3. Thanks to Dave Griffith (member #7) for his weed/brush cutting efforts next to the service road. Dave made it up to the poison ivy when he wisely ceased his efforts. It’s a tough quarry. Another attack in October, or so? 4. Thanks especially to the overwhelming majority of our members who had their boats in the water by the deadline of June 1st. You guys are the greatest! It really helps to maximize our limited geography. Finally, things overall are going rather well (knock on the dock!) so far—no high water on Mother’s Day & July 4th, along with 60 mph winds later that afternoon. We had one high water episode in June this year, which was very short lived. So this is a good year (aren’t they all really?) to COME OUT & SAIL! ENJOY YOUR SAILING CLUB and especially, TIME ON THE WATER. Fair winds….

Racing

Charlie Brehob

Bruce Cameron

Governor’s Cup Regatta: The largest regatta of the year at Eagle Creek will be the weekend following Labor Day, September 11-12. Co-Chairman, Jack Hale and Ted Azbill are back this year to do a three-peat and put on another great regatta. Notice of Race and Registration forms are included in this issue. All Club members are invited and encouraged to come out for all our regattas. It’s fun to just watch the competition from your boat on the water or Rick’s if you’re so inclined. You also can purchase meals from the regatta chairman the day of the event and attend the race party for FREE! August Race Assignments are: Wednesday’s: August 4th - Fox and Thompson, H.; 11th – Hale. And crew; 18th – Olin. and Lockhart; 25th – Moore T. and Marx; Sept. 1 - IUPUI. Please arrive at the Club by 5:30pm and on the water by 6 for the first flag at 6:50pm. Sunday’s: August 1st – Muir & Moore, RT; 8th – Leeman and crew; 15th – Leeman and crew; 22nd - Lockhart & Gray, M.; August 29th – Jones, E. & Myers. Sunday RC should be at the Club by 12:15pm and on the water by 12:45 for the 1:30 warning signal. If you cannot make your assigned date, please trade with someone and let Charlie or Bruce know. Spring Series Awards Party: Saturday, August 7th, refreshments will be served following the Ladies Sadie Hawkins Race or 6:00pm. Awards will be presented at 6:30 with the cookout to follow. Everyone is invited. The party will be in the lower shelter. Spring Series Results: The complete results are posted in the race bulletin board. Burgee Winners are: Wednesdays: Red 1. Tom Moore 2. Jack Hale 3. Mike Kaschak White 1. Rich Fox 2. John Cicak 3. Greg Marx Green 1. Bruce Cameron 2. Jim Grant 3. Charlie Brehob Sunday Race 1 Red 1. R Tom Moore 2. Jack Hale 3. Mike Gray White 1. Rich Fox Sunday Race 2 Red 1. R Tom Moore 2. Bruce Cameron 3. Jack Hale. August Fun Events: Ladies Sadie Hawkins Race, Saturday, Aug. 7th. Highlander E-Cup (Match Racing) is Saturday, Aug. 21st. August Full Moon Sail on Friday, August 27th. Meet by the boat ramp around 7:00pm. 5 for 5 Regatta: (Otherwise known as Wayne’s World) will be on Saturday of Labor Day weekend, September 4th. Skippers meeting is at 11:00am. Cost is just $5. Ah…and there might be 5 races…5 for 5! See Wayne for more information. Special thanks to Larry Bruce and family for filling in for Bill Harrington the past two Wednesday to feed the hungry sailors after racing. And to Craig Johnson, Highlander Fleet Captain, for welcoming the Comet people with dogs and refreshments Friday night before the ECSC Regatta. Thanks all! Also, a big Eagle Creek thank you to Tim Hollingsworth and crew for putting on a great ECSC Regatta in the heat...luckily with good winds both days. Six races were run for 21 boats including 6 out of town Comets. Congratulations to all the sailors (results will be posted at the Club). Assisting Tim were: Chauncey Olin, Judy Breitzke, Kelli Morehead, Lisa Carpenter, Chuck Walker, Lee VanDyke, and Bob & Janet Hickok. Dancing on the newly installed white-sand beach on the front porch of the Sail Loft to great tunes was especially enjoyed by all...racers and non-racers alike. Remember, everyone is invited to all the racing parties. It’s great fun…please join us Saturday night September 11th at the Governor’s Cup. Remember, all we wanna do is have some fun!!

IUPUI Sailing

Chris Murray

The 2004 Mackinac Race appeared to be the best so far, for IUPUI Sailors. Five members of the IUPUI Sailing Team (including Ryan Widau, Christian McNeilly, Rebecca Dark, Jason Roth, and Joe Romero) were participating on Offshore Yachts ranging from 35-45 feet. In addition, ECSC Members Bruce Cameron and Jim Yeary were competing in the race. For Bruce, the 2004 event marked his 19th Mackinac Race and for me only my 4th. With the upcoming race, many of us eagerly checked the weather on a daily basis in the days leading up to the 2-day, 333-mile event. The initial 5-day forecast called for 15-20 knot winds from the North, clocking to the East on late Saturday night and building to 20-25 knots. This would mean a hard beat for most of the first day, cracking off to a close reach after the breeze went east of the Rumb Line. Although many people were not amused by this forecast and the notion of having to sleep on the rail, I was foolishly excited because I knew it meant 6-8 foot waves which is always the case on Lake Michigan when the winds are strong out of the north. The “Mac” Race is traditionally a downwind race which normally means the spinnaker is flown for 90% of the race. I wanted to do some helming in the big waves and it initially appeared I would be getting the forecast I wanted. Friday at work, I spent much of the afternoon on the phone with the boat owner coordinating last minute issues with boat preparation including lift-raft certification and ensuring the provisions had been purchased for the race. In addition, I check the latest update on the weather report for the lower and upper portions of Lake Michigan for the next 3 days. Forecasts appeared similar except that there was a concerning high-pressure being pushed south from Canada. This meant that there would be good breeze initially, but there was a chance that the wind would also eventually shutdown when the high arrived. After an unsuccessful attempted at an early night on Friday, I finally pried myself away from the rum and live music of Chicago Yacht Club’s pre-Mac party and got some Z’s in a real bed for the last time in 3 days. Morning came too early with an 8am boat call and provisioning began as well as final inspection of the rig. Ryan, Christian, and I were on the same boat, the Nelsen Merck 40’ AIRWAVES. This boat didn’t have the luxuries of the other Mac rides I had been on as it was a Grand Prix IMS stripped down racer and I may as well have done the race on a J-22!!! The only thing below in the 40 foot Kevlar hull was a Nav Station, small galley, head, and racks for sleeping. The boat was real fast and the compromise in comfort was well worth the 8.5 knots of upwind boat speed and 18 knots on a reach/run during a blow. In addition, the boat owner brought in a hired gun, our Quantum Sailmaker, Stars and Stripes A.C. Sailor, and 2-time Olympian, Chris Neilson. If you have never sailed with a professional, the difference is amazing. With his tactical input and knowledge of the sails he had build as well as his helming ability, we had a good chance at the Mackinac Cup. The race began as forecast with 15-20 knots on the nose. With the Canadian high pressure system in the back of our minds, it was decided to make as much distance north before the wind shut down. In addition, it was important to be by the shore when the new system did arrive. This is because when the gradient wind weakens, the sea and shore breezes come into effect. This works by the simple differential in temperature between the shore and the lake. When the gradient wind is weak in the case of a high pressure system, the wind comes off the shore during the day since the land is hotter in the day. During the night, the water retains heat longer than the land and the breeze shifts direction and comes off the lake. This effect is most dominate 0-2 miles offshore and is only visible on large bodies of water. Eagle Creek’s effect would be almost unnoticeable. After a good 9 hours of going the weather hard and heading north, we noticed a distinct line in the clouds about 20 miles ahead on the course. Seeing this, we knew that the high pressure system was indeed approaching as forecast. Since we were around the Racine, Wisconsin area about 10 miles offshore, we needed to make a very important decision. Do we continue to head north on the favored tack making good VMG’s and risk sailing out of the breeze, or do we take a hitch onto the unfavored board and bee-line it for the Michigan coast while we still had the breeze. Regardless of our decision, we knew that we needed to make it across the lake while we still had gradient wind...otherwise we would find ourselves drifting for hours. It is also important to understand for the purpose of this discussion, that the breeze is heavier on the front of any system. It was this factor which made us take the risk of continuing to head north towards the high pressure system and into initially more wind. As we proceeded north, the breeze built in 1-2 knot increments. The whole time, we saw boats in our section tacking to port and heading east toward the Michigan shore line. With every boat that crossed our transom, we knew that we were making distance north on them but risking losing it all if we didn’t make land before the high pressure system arrived. At midnight on Saturday, the last boat inside of us , “Margaret Rantoul,” a GL 50’, finally flopped to port and went east. We were still beating in good pressure but were concerned about the approaching front line and high pressure. By 1am, we decided it was time to flop and we began the 60 mile crossing towards the Michigan shoreline. I went off watch at 2am as we were making good progress east. I came back up on watch at 7am to find us 10 miles offshore and sailing along in the dying gradient wind. As the breeze continued to die, it was decided to get as close into the beach as possible. By 9am, we were half a mile off the beach just south of the north Michigan dunes and Point Betsey. After verifying on our charts that there was enough water to continue inshore with our 9 foot draft, we finally tacked back to starboard 100 yards off the beach. As the sun came up, we could see boats around us, but to our delight, there were no boats in our section...only boats in the section above us which included Farr 40s and a few IMS hotrods. We knew we were doing very well but didn’t want to “count chickens” yet as we were all too aware that the Mac Race has many ways to break your heart! As the last of the breeze died, we found ourselves sitting off the beach with the instruments reaching 0 for the heading (0 is due north), wind, and boat speed. We sat for 5 hours before the afternoon sea breeze began to fill in. We were able to get our A-kite flying again and reached north on hot angles doing about 3 knots of boat speed. After a frustrating 4 hours, we finally arrived at the entrance to the Manitou’s...a stretch of water 5 miles wide between the Michigan shoreline and the Manitou Islands. When we arrived there, the wind completely died and we found ourselves sitting for the next 7 hours and making only 1 mile of progress. Finally, at about 4am Monday morning, the breeze came back and we were able to make progress north through Gray’s Reef and turned the corner toward the Mackinac Bridge...and finally the island. The breeze shut down one final time and we sat 1 mile east of the Mackinac Bridge (3 miles from the finish) for an additional 4 hours. We finally finished the normally 45 hour race in 62 hours arriving at 2am Tuesday morning. During the night on Monday, we knew that boats had slipped inside of us along the shore of the Mackinac straights and we were concerned that some of those were boats in our section. When we arrived at Mackinac Island, we found only 6 boats in our section with the remainder of the 25 boat section still on the water. We ended up correcting to 8/25 and 30/295 which was a respectable finish considering the conditions. We later found that we were leading our section in 1st place until the wind shut down the second time in the Mackinac Straits and knew we should have followed our own philosophy and hugged the shore instead of sailing down the middle of the 20-mile, 8-mile wide strait. At the island, there was more news. Over 60 boats had withdrawn from the race due to lack of wind. These were mostly the slower, smaller boats which were sitting off Manistee, Michigan when the high pressure system arrived. In addition to the fleet of DNF boats was a report of a bad collision during the heavy air upwind portion of the race. Two 40 footers had collided during the night in a port-starboard situation. The port boat road over the stern of the starboard boat almost killing the helmsman. One of my friends was the owner of the starboard boat (“Das Boot”) involved in the collision and I was initially concerned as one can imagine. When the final word came in, it was reported that there was no one injured. Both boats withdrew from the race due to major damage. While the final part of the race was slow, it was as it will always be...a great time on the water. Since the lack of winds caused some withdraws from the race, it also caused some major transportation issues for IUPUI sailors who had commuted together to Chicago from Indianapolis. At the time of this writing, it is still unknown about Rebecca and Jason’s location except that their boat withdrew from the race and returned to the home port in St. Joe, Michigan. In addition, Joe’s boat continued to complete the race in the light air. My last communication from him was a voicemail at 2am on Wednesday morning when his boat still had 20 miles to finish the race and not moving. Joe was supposed to ride with me back to Chicago late on Tuesday. However, since he never arrived and with so many withdrawals, it was impossible to determine his whereabouts. The crew van I was riding in had to leave Tuesday since many of the crew had to be back in the office Wednesday morning. The only thing that was certain about transportation is that the “Airwaves” delivery crew arrived on the island by ferry on time...lead by Phil Witlif. Phil, Ryan, and a couple of other IUPUI Sailors will be delivering “Airwaves” back from Mackinac beginning Wednesday with one over night port hop on the Michigan coast...arriving in Chicago late Saturday evening. I have probably given more detail about the race then you ever wanted, but the lesson to be learned is that it doesn’t matter if you are racing offshore on a big boat or cruising on Eagle Creek, the wind can die and plans are not possible to keep whether it is a dinner date at Rick’s, or a ride back from Mackinac to Chicago!!!

Safety & Education

Wayne Myers

Rick Graef

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT I think sailboat racing is seen through the eyes of the beholder and it changes as the years pass. When young and racing on someone else's boat, it is a gas, and we want more. When we get our first boat, we learn about getting good crew, scheduling, buying new sails and gear, and the thrill of driving and winning (sometimes). This point can be a fork in the road as some people keep going and get bigger, faster, more complicated racing boats, and others go cruising. I think sailing is alive and well, it’s just changing. National Safe Boating Week Pre-Launch Checklist Boat registration sticker Safety equipment Check flares and fire ext. First aid kit and bug spray Check all hall fittings Check for winter damage Inspect rigging and replace Inspect trailer and service Top Reasons For On-the-Road Breakdowns # 1 Flat tires # 2 Bearing failures # 3 Forget to "tie the boat down" # 4 You said, "you tie it down" # 5 Left the rudder or sails at home Sailing School ~ Open Saturdays at 9:00am ~ Small boat sailing ~ Closed on Race Days JUNIOR SAILING NEWS Everybody was racing this past month! ECSC Regatta Junior Racing—July 10 & 11 1st Rick & RJ Graef 2nd Wayne Myer & Austin Graef 3rd Evan & EJ Williams then Ki Hickok & EJ Williams* 4th Chuck & Conner Dunn then Nick & Nicholas Mates* * Took over for the Sunday races Tyler News Our long lost son, Mr. T (or Tyler Andrews) just drove back into town with lasers in tow after placing 3rd in the light-wind Bay Week racing. Tyler said, "In the light air, I'm over weight." Tyler is now at 182 lbs. and had added a 1 1/2" in height. His 3rd place finish was out of 31 boats after 10 races (he won the first two races). The past few months, this seventeen year-old sailor just finished up a 6-week sailing marathon from the east to the west coast and now holds the rank of 19th in the United States (his world ranking is 564)...and this is NOT a “Junior” rank. It is 19th of ALL sailors in the USA. Jason Hubbard finished 5th in that same division of 31 boats. Ki Hickok finished 7th in the Laser Radial Division out of 12 boats and won one race out of four days of racing (15 races) at Bay Week. Good Work Kids !! Calendar Laser ~ Carlyle, IL. Sept. 5 & 6 ECSC Jr. Gov. Cup ~ FJ's Sept. 11 & 12 Laser ~ Syracuse, IN Sept. 18 & 19 Laser/Finn ~ Lake Lemon Sept. 25 & 26 Laser ~ FJ ~ Finn (Hornback) Oct. 9 & 10

Ladies For Sail

Janet Hickok

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 7th. We will be doing our third annual SADIE HAWKINS REGATTA!! This is a turnabout race where the ladies pick their (male) crew. So fellas, don't be surprised when the lovely and talented SKIPPERINAS come a'courtin. This will be a PHRF race so that we can helm the boat we are most comfortable with. Plan to have your boats on the water by 11:00am. There will be a short Skippers' Q&A. Harbor Gun at 11:30 with the first race beginning at 12:30. We hope to do 2-3 races. As always, refreshments and awards will follow. There is a sign-up sheet posted on the racing bulletin board.

Membership

Rich Fox

Please welcome our new members to the Club. Larry and Kay Conrad of Plainfield, sailing a Capri 14.2. Sven and Sandy Conrad of Indianapolis. If you have a new address, please notify me of the change so I may update the Membership Database. This will ensure that you receive your monthly Telltale newsletter and the 2005 Annual Dues Statement. You may send your updates to me at rich_fox@yahoo.com. Membership Count: 267

Volunteer? Who Me?

Kenny Chapman

Hey, it's me...Kenny! ...just writing a few lines to let you know that at some point in time "I will be back." Let’s see, I've been a member since about 1993 unless you count the year before that when I protested the wording of the bylaws in regards to the exact date you had to have your dues in on time. I sent mine in a day "late" and got hammered. Had I known I would be ahead of Wayne on the slip waiting list I would never had done it. Of course, none of this matters now that I am a Social member. Okay, so pretend it's really 1992 and before that time I had the pleasure of sailing Eagle Ocean since about 1987. At that time, I was going through a nasty divorce and it's a shame I hadn't joined earlier knowing how many fine lawyers we have at the Club. At any rate, there I was tagging along with my buddy Bruce Cameron, learning to sail better on a boat that Bruce Berner sold me. Now, this wasn't just some day sailor...it was the "Whip" made by MFG back in 1974 when everybody was into sport sailing (at least that's what they thought). Boy was it tender! It was what they call a human ballast boat, which means it was one tippy son of a gun. Hey, Elliott Fuldauer couldn't get my dumb butt to join the Club then in ‘87, but he did talk me into a new form of membership back then called race fellowship. Heck, at 35 bucks a year, where could a newly single guy go wrong? You know this was a tricky boat to sail, but I made it out enough on nights the wind was light to make a few dreams come true. I even did well enough to bring home a few trophies. (the sailing kind). Eventually, I began meeting people at the Club and my good friend Bruce C. told a guy named Jim Rees about my welding skills. Before you knew it, I was donating time to weld docks for the Club I didn't even fully belong to. Yada Yada Yada. So, I joined this place in ’92 and never ever regretted it. I have met some friends that I will never forget and quite a few women-type friends to boot. The Racing chair in ‘94 was Tom Newgent and his evil assistant was Rick Ahhhhrrrrrbecker and those b…….. tricked me into becoming the next Racing chairman. At this point, I must say that Richard White did me the “favor” of getting me onto the Board of Directors to seal the deal, so to speak, and I served for about eight years. Now, there are those that say the Harbormaster is the toughest job at the Club. But, I got the chance to do both jobs and I say Racing is harder...but only because racers cry like newborn babies...ALL THE TIME. It's all history now as I am out here on the East coast and I haven't sailed much only due to the fact that there just aren't places like ECSC out here. I guess it's the proximity to the ocean and all and the fact that ECSC is strictly a sailing club, but I really am spoiled by ECSC. The people that literally give up years of their lives like Roger Knapp, Mike Gray, Bruce Cameron, Ted Azbil, Arhhhhbecker, Vogel, Killen, McKnight, Loyd, Richard White, Jim Weir, John Storer, just to name a few tireless volunteers. Of course, I would be remiss to forget Bill Harrington, who runs our web site by the way. I guess the real tale to the tips I have presented is there just isn't any better human satisfaction than to be a member of this Club and be able to share your particular skill with your membership. Remember just 3 things: Beer Fixes Everything! Ice Makes It Better! The Club Is Not Your Mother Thanks for reading to the end, and yeah, I was that punk Tailer.

Tag Article

Greg & Pat Jacoby

When I took the call informing me that the Jacoby Family was “tagged” to write and article, I was hesitant and dumbstruck as to what I could possibly write about. But, I can share this - The Jacoby Family has always sailed. I should correct that by stating that Greg has always been a sailor. His “formative” years were spent in New England and then Ohio, where, for as long as he can remember, he and his family always sailed. I grew into sailing by simply knowing him. Before we were married, I tried to impress him with my vast sailing knowledge (sarcasm here!!) by taking sailing lessons at Eagle Creek Park. Once we were married, before buying our first house, we bought our first boat...a 21’ C-Scow. For those who aren’t familiar with this class of boat, it is a fast boat but it has a wood mast that was all but impossible to raise. We lovingly restored the boat and after a season or two, abandoned ship for a house. The scow sat at the back of our driveway like an oversized sculpture for longer than I care to remember. Note: Junior Bay Week kids at Put-In-Bay above and 3 below I’m sure, looking back, our neighbors must have celebrated when we sold the boat to move on to our next boat...a San Juan 21. We docked it at Hueston Woods in Ohio for a year and would drive over and spend the weekend there...motoring over to the state lodge to shower and grab a bite to eat. Tiring of the drive and starting a family, we finally joined the Sailing Club and since moved through the San Juan, a Catalina 22, and are currently sailing a Catalina 25. It’s a nice boat, but with two still growing boys who DID grow up sailing (Joseph, 17 and Thomas, 13 sail our boat and the Lasers), we could use a little more leg room! In other words, this probably won’t be our last boat move! One summer evening, when the boys were still pretty young, Greg, the boys, and I took the boat out. The evening started out pleasant enough, but the winds picked up and instead of dropping the sails and heading in, we chose to take the thrill ride. Well, the winds became a squall (we’re talking Eagle Ocean here!) and we were caught in a high wind with a sail that was stuck. Greg had to make a split second decision to ground the boat and “abandon ship.” We huddled under some bushes ashore while the storm passed. The rest of that season was ruined. The kids wouldn’t allow him to raise the sails unless it was dead calm. The boys, after being empowered by Greg and with the help of ECSC sailing lessons each summer, put them firmly in the “I’m a sailor forever” category. Someone, a newsletter or two ago, talked about the importance of youth sailing and passing our sport to the next generation. There are skills learned in sailing that can be used throughout ones life. Whether it be knots or water safety or just knowing how to read the wind, we owe it to our kids to “pass sailing forward.” So, with that, I leave you to ponder your own family’s sailing history. Sailing provides us with one of many common bonds that link our family tightly together...like a neatly woven line that holds our boat firmly to the docks. Sunny days or fowl weather, we will always be (and sail) together!!

Captain's Mast

Cap'n Lou Werde

Captain's Mast - A Trial for the Reader and Writer Alike. by Cap'n Lou Werde Ahoy mates.... Chances are you've prob'ly heard o' Captain William Bligh. While Bligh is most infamous for certain quirks of character leading to his reluctant role in the mutiny on the Bounty, another trait of his is scarcely mentioned. He was an exceptional sailor! While the Bounty had not been a happy ship for sometime, it wasn't until April 18th in 1787 that the shi ... uh ... holding tank contents impacted the macerator. At the end of the midwatch on that date, Captain Bligh was rudely awakened before dawn at cutlass point by his quondam crewmate Fletcher Christian. Following a rather contumelious conversation with Christian and company, Bligh and 18 of the 31 crew members still loyal to him were put aboard the ship's launch and bade go their own way. Those aforementioned figures deserve a second glance. Out of a total complement of 44, only 12 sailors mutinied. The Cap'n is sure it helped that those 12 crew members had all the pistols and muskets. Superior firepower tends to make a convincing argument. The ship's launch, 23 feet from stem to stern with a six and a half foot beam, had no cabin or cuddy or other protection from the elements. After wishing them bon voyage (well, according to accounts it was actually "There goes the Bounty bastard, bread-fruit Bligh!"), they set off with a barricoe of water (about twenty-five gallons), one hundred and fifty pounds of bread, and thirty pounds of salt pork. Oh, and six quarts of rum and half a dozen bottles of wine. The mutineers didn't mind killing their former crewmates, but damned if they'd cast 'em adrift without their grog! By most accounts, Bligh and crew had no charts or even a compass. Equipped with naught but a sextant and a pocket watch, they navigated the 3200 miles from Tofua, Tonga to Timor, Java in 47 days. Their first stop was in Tofua. While Bligh and most of his crew were ashore collecting rainwater from rock pools, the natives of Tofua (one of the ironically named Friendly Islands) gathered on the beach between the shore party and the anchor watch left aboard. Bligh, with a cutlass at the throat of the native that had led them to the water, marched toward the natives and managed to part the unwelcoming party and lead his men to the launch. The launch had been anchored fore and aft with grapnels so as to be able to 'ferry' the boat 'twixt surf and shore. As a rear guard, Captain Bligh and 2 sailors, Quartermaster Norton and Ship's Carpenter Purcell, stood in the shallows as the others boarded the launch. The hostage broke free from Bligh and ran back to his fellows on the shore. Bligh and Purcell immediately ran for the boat. Norton, with equal parts courage and idiocy, ran back ashore to retrieve the grapnel. He was instantly set upon by the natives who took his head for granite and cracked it open on the rocks. The natives grabbed the grapnel rode and began to pull the boat to shore. Bligh, demonstrating why he was captain and poor Norton but a quartermaster, parted the rode with one slash of his cutlass. As the men for'rd pulled the launch out to the other grapnel, the natives hurled rocks from the beach in a fierce and accurate barrage. With the oarsmen dropping from the primitive salvo, the boat was once again imperiled as the offshore grapnel snagged on the bottom. After a frantic minute or two it was only by a (broken) fluke that they were able to continue offshore. Next: The natives pursue the launch with a canoe and Bligh takes a 1000 mile detour ... tune in again next month for "Death Takes A Holiday" or "How I Spent My Summer Vacation!" Cap'n Lou Werde welcomes any and all questions, comments and opinions. You can hail the Cap'n care of the editor of this fine publication. If writing by E-Mail, please include Capn's Mast in the subject line.

Communications

Evan Williams

The printed news rag is still going out to about 220 of our 267 memberships. 40 some members have opted to save the Club some money/hassle and just view the monthly news via the website. These 40 people (plus many others, I suspect) are enjoying the benefits of the web...color pictures, more up-to-date information, and quicker access. Since I usually get the web version up as soon as I take the masters to the printer, web viewers can see the latest happenings before the 2-3 days it takes to print the paper version plus the time while being processed by our local USPS. This is another request to those remaining 220 members. If you find yourself just tossing the paper version aside (since you’ve already read all the content a week before on the web), please let me know and I’ll remove your name from the snail-mail distribution. As you probably already know, I send out an E-Mail reminder as soon as the web version is up. If you haven’t been getting this message, it’s probably because the Club (and me) does not have your E-Mail address. If you want that reminder message, please send me your E-Mail address. Note, many members opt for 2 or 3 addresses to notify all the members of their family and/or at different locations. Interestingly, this same reminder message also goes to many of our ex-Patriots all over the country. This method keeps our news at the forefront of our members everywhere. If you know of people who would like this monthly notification of the availability of the “WebTales,” again, just send me their E-Mail addresses. An extra ID in the distribution list isn’t nearly as expensive/hassle as an extra stamp and printed copy (and the cost of my slave family labor to stick the labels and stamps onto the mailings). Take a look at the web version if you haven’t already: http://www.ecsail.org ….then click on Telltales. You might even find a picture of yourself in some of the past issues. I don’t know all the people in the pictures I get sent to me...if they look like good pics, in they go! If you have some good pics, please send them my way...the crazier the better.

2004 Board Meetings

September 14 October 12 (Executive Committee Only) November 6 November 9

Snipe #21361 for sale or trade. '74 Chubasco, excellent condition, winters inside, perfect as first racer, 2 sets of sails, full cover, trailer. It needs a young skipper to take it out racing and I need a cruiser. $2000 / trade / OBO. call Pat @ 317-569-9628 or E-Mail prhoda@markeys.com 1986 Catalina 22, Aquaholic, great boat seeks new owner, I come complete with; A 6HP Johnson Sailmaster, Pop-Top Cover, 2 Fore Sails, 1 Main, For info contact Bob or Janet Hickok, bobbyc12345@aol.com 317-852-9227 or 317-698-4655, $4500 (firm). 1985 Laguna 24T sailboat, dinette interior, fixed keel, roller furling 150% genoa, cabin camper top, compass, galley, stern-rail grill, porta potti, deep cycle battery, new automatic bilge pump, stern ladder. Home-made mast raising system. Motor: Honda 7.5hp 4 stroke motor. Reliable start, with battery charger. Trailer: custom made by Triad for this boat ~four years ago. Galvanized, tandem axle trailer boat, hydraulic surge brakes, spare tire, tongue extension. We are selling the boat because we don’t have time to sail it anymore. It sails well and is in good, functional condition. The interior needs to be cleaned. This is mainly a freshwater sailboat. It has been on the ocean once. The boat has not been sailed since early last year. The last time we sailed was at a local sailing club. The boat was in the water in a wet-slip for the two prior sailing seasons, so it is watertight. It had two coats of bottom sealer and then ablative bottom paint applied ~ two years ago. There is some paint that is flaking off on the starboard bow, below the registration number. The boat has a topside leak that occurs during heavy rain. It was simpler for us to put a tarp over the boom at the time, which prevented the problem. There are no cracks in the deck or hull, so I suspect this is a leak at a winch, or at a handrail which should be fairly easy to fix. Price: $4500, obo. If there are any questions, please E-Mail me at leewolff2@insightbb.com or 842-5943. 1981 San Juan 23, #594. Original Main, Genoa and Jib. Knot meter, depth sounder, VHF, AM/FM/Cassette w/ 4 marine spkrs, battery, portapotti, Danforth anchor, 5hp Mariner, HaulRite trailer, lots of extras. Great shape in and out $6,500. Call Jim Wodock 446-6123 or E-Mail jimwodock@aol.com. 1985 Catalina 25 The fin keel makes her a true sailor for a beginning or accomplished captain. The well-maintained craft has extensive inventory, including 9.9 Yamaha 4-Stroke with low hours, roller furling, 2-burner alcohol stove, stainless steel grill, upgraded marine head (with holding tank), pop-top with canvas cover, over-sized danforth anchor, depth gauge, fresh bottom paint, Lewmar winches, recovered cushions, and cradle (no trailer). Clean with "bright" brightwork. $7,995 or make an offer. Christi Garcia 317-587-1622 ext. 21 or 317-254-9825 or cgarcia@wddinc.com 1. 1985 8 hp Nissan, Elect. Start Long Shaft. Runs great...it is now on my Hunter 26 ($650). 2. 1985 Force 5 Sailboat with trailer. Sails and boat are in good condition $850. Ken Lockhart 788-4242 Home, 418-4231 Cell or klock5@ comcast.net. 1971 Venture 24' 6" Sailboat with helm, retractable keel and trailer. Navy blue boat, good boat, ready to sail. Sails include 1 main (new), main sail cover, jib (new), 6.0 horse power Johnson outboard motor, (throttle built in by helm), gas tank, custom-made cockpit cushions, lots of cabin space, custom cushions (newly cleaned) for cabin, two-way radio, am/fm cassette stereo system (4 speakers two out in cockpit), propane tank, stainless steel swing Webber style cooker, solar panel for battery. Boat known as "LIBERTY." Requires marine deep cycle battery. Boat comes with single axel trailer (needs lights). Trailer not for long distance travel. Must sell...getting a newer one. $1,500 obo Contact Steve at 502-5018. 1987 Capri - It has a Shorelander trailer, furling jib, cover, and mainsail. I am asking $2,100 when most boats of this quality are going for over $2,400. I would like to see it go to a good home. It has always been stored under a roof and out of the water. The sails are in excellent shape. E-mail me if you are interested or know of someone who is. I hate to sell it, but I have not had it in the water for 5 years and it is taking up my garage space. phumbaugh@fairfield.k12.in.us. 2000 Capri 22—$14,000, tall rig, wing keel, 150% roller furling genoa, spinnaker & performance package, two tone deck, 5 horse Honda, Trail-Rite trailer, slip D 27, Bret Petty, 272-4963 or cell 965-3665. 1985 Starwind 19—Brooks3113@aol.com. 1982 Victoria 18 with trailer, nearly new Honda 4 cycle 2hp motor, nearly new sails. $2,500 or best offer. Dave Emhardt 299-7693 or 713-4903 or cemhardt@comcast.net or demhardt @uspatent.com

Upcoming Events

Aug 7	Sadie Hawkins Regatta
Aug 7	Spring Racing Awards
Aug 14	Commodore's Dinner Dance
Aug 21	Highlander Match Racing
Aug 27	Full Moon Sail
Sep 4	5 for 5 Regatta

Club Stats

Members	267
Slip Waiting List	73 (20 Passed)
Wet Slips	166
Water Level	790.84 (790 Normal)

2004 Racing/Social Calendar

EVENT	DATE/TIME	CHAIRPERSONS
Sadie Hawkins Regatta	Sat. Aug 7th, 11:30am	Janet Hickok
Spring Race Awards	Sat, August 7th	Charlie Brehob
Commodore’s Dinner/Dance Sat.	Aug 14th, 6:00pm	Don & Judy Birt
5 for 5 Regatta	Sep 4th	Wayne Myers
Labor Day Cookout	Mon. Sep 6th, 5:00pm	Rich & Angie White
Governor's Cup Regatta	Sat, Sep 11.12	Jack Hale & Ted Azbill
Hayride/Bonfire	Sat. Sep 25th, 5:30pm	Harold Hankins & Cheryl Roberts
Hornback Regatta	Sat, Oct. 9-10
Chili Cookout	Sat. Oct 9th, 5:30pm	Roger & Michelle Knapp
Final Bash	Sat. Nov 6th, 6:00pm	Cheryl Roberts
Thanksgiving Regatta	Fri. Nov 28th

Sailboats Inc. of Indiana

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