Clipper Snips

The magazine of the Trailer/Sailors Association Trailer/Sailors Association www.trailersailors.org Spring 2011 2 Keys Sailing Trip Jerry Hardin 6 The De-masting of Felicity Robert Davis 7 Now NOT to Sell your Boat Jim Nielson 10 Spring on the Texas Coast David Cargie 13 A Winter Sail Henk Vandherhulst 24 Forgotten Victorians on the Net Lawrence Wright 29 'RQ¶W)RUJHWWKH1RUWK&KDQQHO&UXLVH 30 Hats & Flags and Boats for Sale 3UHVLGHQW¶V&ROXPQ Mike Nelson As I write this, the North Channel Intro cruise is 7 weeks away and the Main cruise is 8 weeks away. At this time we have 6 boats signed up for the Intro cruise (not counting the leader boats), and a couple dozen boats for the main cruise. It is not too late to sign up for either of these cruises. On the Association front, we are working on creating a shared photo gallery. Only members will be able to upload their images directly, but viewing images will be available to the public. In the past, we tasked one person with collecting and sorting all images once a year. That task has gotten to be too big for one person, and that ap- proach did not encourage pictures from other cruises and sailing venues. The new gallery will have albums not only for the North Channel, but for other places, as well. Since members will be able to upload their own images, images can be added 24/7/365. We hope this new process will encourage more picture sharing among members. When the new gallery is in place and ready for use, it will be announced on our TrailSail discussion group on Ya- hoo. Quick sales pitch: this discussion group is our main way of communicating with members in between issues RI&OLSSHU6QLSV,I\RXGRQ¶WDOUHDG\SDUWLFLSDWHLQWKHGLVFXVVLRQJURXSSOHDVHFRQVLGHUWU\LQJLW6LJQ-up information is on our web site, www.trailersailors.org. Please note²our discussion group is separate from and not affiliated in any way with the discussion group at www.trailersailors.com. When the gallery is ready, we will also post, in the members-only area of our web site, instructions for uploading images. Chris Holderness has asked that we find one or more people to take on the job of maintaining and updating our web site. He will remain available as our technical resource person and will continue to manage the site infra- structure. If you are interested in helping out with our web site, please send me an e-mail at [email protected]. We would prefer people with some prior web experience, especially with Joomla, but we can also use some people willing to learn to edit sections of the site. :HDOVRQHHGDSXEOLFUHODWLRQVSHUVRQWRKHOSRXU$VVRFLDWLRQJURZ6LQFHZHGRQ¶WKDYHPXFKRIDEXGJHWIRU 35ZH¶GOLNHWRKHDUIURPVRPHRQHZLWKJXHULOODPDUNHWLQJH[SHULHQFHDVZHOODVH[SHULHQFHXVLQJVRFLDOPHGLD for promotion. If you are interested, please contact me at [email protected].

(outside) of the keys and then down to John Penne- Keys Sailing Trip kamp park and then back north to Angel Creek cut to the inside and then SW again to the Channel 5 bridge Jerry W. Hardin where we went outside for the rest of the trip. We key- March-April 2011 hopped down to Key West and back to Marathon. We finally pulled out at Ohio Key on April 19. Starting at the very beginning- Last November, Bryan We spent 4 nights at marinas, 8 nights on mooring Childs sent out an e-mail feeler to the TSA member- balls at protected places, and the rest of the time ship asking who would be interested in crewing for swinging on our own anchors. We also spent 2 nights him on either a Bahamas or Florida Keys sailing trip on the hard in our boats and one welcome motel on the for a month in March ±April 2011. Obviously, I re- way back. We left Oakdale, TN on Wed. March 24 sponded as did several others. As it shook out, we de- and 4 weeks later arrived back in Oakdale on Wed. cided to take two boats with two per boat. Commodore %ULDQ&KLOGVZDVLQ³%OXH0D[´DVZLQJ-keel Catalina April 20. ZLWK-RKQ%\UQHDVFUHZ,WRRN³+LJK+RSHV´D Our first night on the hook was between Sand Key and 1970 Morgan 25 with a shoal draft keel with center- Elliot Key in Key Biscayne. There were many week- board, with Mikal Forbes as crew. end boats there, but we coexisted OK. The next day we went back south to Pumpkin key. On the way back we sailed slower and slower. We finally checked the dinghy we were towing and it was full of ZDWHU,KDGERUURZHGDIULHQG¶VGLQJK\DQGLWZDVD sailing dinghy with a slot for a dagger board. There was no blocking tab over the bottom so we were scooping water into the dinghy as we were slamming into the slop until we had a sea anchor! We stuffed some foam into it but found out the next day that it helped but still we scooped water. That evening we cut some of the closed cell foam from my cockpit cushions, stuffed it in the slot and lashed it down. No more dinghy problems the rest of the trip. We swung a bit north and then went to the outside through Angel Creek cut. Our destination was Grecian We all met at my house in Oakdale, TN on Tuesday, Reef off Pennekamp State Park. Due to time sailing 0DUFKIRULQWURGXFWLRQVDQGVRPHRI-R¶VILQHIRRG we went to the park first and went snorkeling the next We made last minute plans and left the next morning day and then back to the park. and drove down to Valdosta, GA. where we spent the Next was a trip back northward to Angel Creek cut night on the boats in a WalMart parking lot. The next and to an anchorage near Pumpkin Key again. Good day we made it to our launch spot of South Dade Ma- wind on our quarter and the GPS showed rina at mile marker 115 on US 1 just before the bridge that crosses onto Key Largo. 8.2 mph a couple of times. We made it back in only 4 hrs. Anchorage at Pumpkin was uneventful except for ,¶OOSDXVHKHUHDQGJLYHDIHZVWDWLVWLFVRQWKHWULSDQG some nice guitar playing and singing from Bryan. an overview of the route. From TN we drove about 1000 mi each way. We sailed a bit over 300 mi during NOAA said high winds (20+) the next day so we the 4 weeks. We launched at South Dade and traveled scuttled across Card Sound into Little Card Sound and up and through Angel Creek cut to the Atlantic side tucked in near the mainland for expected high winds. We set a second anchor and ate supper and waited.

2 Two fronts came through that night and some exciting Next day, April 2, we had a good downwind sail of winds blew but we were stuck to the bottom and en- about 28 mi. The wind was gentle and average boat joyed the rain, wind, and lightening! speed was 4-5 mph. The seas were a beautiful green and the dolphins were playful. Mikal and I tested our seamanship by sailing through one narrow cut where most of the wind was blocked. Talk about ghosting along! We were almost stopped a couple of times when power boats passed us. We anchored just off Fi- esta Key near Long Key. We were ready for the trip through Channel 5 to the outside (Atlantic side) in the morning. We weighed anchor about 0800 with two reefs in the main because NOAA said 20 mph winds today. As we went under the bridge to the outside, we found the wind was light so we shook out the reefs and sailed all the way in a nice downwind sail. As I recall that sail, we were riding the ocean swells and the boat would make a swooshing sound as we went over the waves. It was a very comforting sound and created a good We all brought books to read, so down time was spent feeling for us. Mikal was at the tiller most of the day reading (mystery books for me). and proved to be a most able seaman. The next day we motor sailed into the teeth of the We found Sister Creek (thanks to the charting GPS) wind under Card Sound Bridge and then under the and motored into Boot Key Harbor between Boot Key US1 bridge through Barnes Sound and into Blackwa- and Marathon. Moorings were about $21/night at City WHU6RXQG:HVWRSSHGDW*LOEHUW¶V0DULQDIRUIXHO Marina of Marathon and gave us dinghy access to wa- water and lunch and then continued into the wind into ter and showers. A pump-RXWERDWFDPHWRRQH¶VERDW Tarpon Basin where we set two anchors ready for once/week at no charge. We stayed 3 nights since VWRUPVZHUHPRYLQJWKURXJKWKRVHGD\V,¶OOWU\WRLQ clude a pic of the water inside the protected area during one of the blows. It got bumpy and we were glad we were not depending on our anchor during those windy times. We had to put the motor on the dinghy for the long ride into the office/showers/bathhouse. There was a tiki style shelter there that gave us a good place to gather for refreshment, conversation, and for Bryan to impress us (and others) with his musical skills. We ran out of drinking/wash water in our boat tank, so had to leave the mooring and motor over to a tight dock area to fill our 15 gal water tank plus a few gal- lon jugs we had. No major problems in getting there and back to the mooring. Next day we all rode on more wind predicted. On the way down we were bash- %U\DQ¶VERDWRXWWR6RPEUHUR.H\RQWKHUHHIIRU ing into the waves and we were soaked by salt water snorkeling. And then, we got up the next morning and over the bow. Our cockpit baths that night were sure headed westward toward Looe Key for more snorkel- welcome to get off all that salt. Wind moderated and ing. no excitement ensued during the night.

3 We released from the mooring about 0900 and went marina bulletin board (Key West Bight Marina) and out the western exit of Boot Key Harbor. We were not WKDWJRWDUHVSRQVH:HVROGWKHDQFKRUIRU³DVXEVWDQ sure of the sailing time so as we went forward we WLDODPRXQW´RIFDVK DJUHHG-upon wording). In fact it found we were not going to make it to snorkel that funded two rounds at happy hour at one of the retail day, so we went directly to an anchorage near Ramrod establishments in Key West. Key and swam and cooled off and did the cockpit While at Boca Chita, Mikal, John, and I took about a shower. Sailing was nice that day with1-3 ft. seas and two mile dinghy ride over to a place Bryan recom- good boat speed. In fact we had to put a reef in the PHQGHGIRUVRPHLFHDQGDQHZVSDSHU,GLGQ¶WUHDOL]H main to keep from running over our lead boat! (We how far it was and had to do some bargaining to get will not tell the story of doing 360s to slow down.) some extra gas in oil bottle to insure we got back to The next day we all piled on Blue Max for a five mile the boat. That little bottle came in handy afterwards as sail out to Looe Key for some snorkeling. Four sailors we always had a little back-up gas for the 2-hp Honda on one boat make for easy sail handling. The water -R¶VPRWRU was pretty choppy when we got to the mooring buoys We spent three nights at anchor in Key West and had at the reef so to use the dinghy yours truly stayed motor to get to the on the boat to dinghy dock to ³VXSHUYLVH´ZKLOH spend our money others went in. there. Every night After snacks and we watched the conversation, we sun set at Mallory sailed back to Square with about Ramrod for an- 5000 of our closest other quiet night friends and then at anchor. had to wear our Fri. April 8, we head lamps in the sailed on west- dark to keep from ward to Boca getting run over on Chita Key right our way back to before Stock Is- the boats. Bryan land. We went up had met one of the a narrow channel entertainers and dropped an- (worked for tips) chor. The anchor on a previous trip checkers (Bryan and John) found an extra Bruce an- and admired his guitar playing techniques and while at chor near High Hopes and offered to help get it up Mallory Square, spent most of his time with him. since Mikal said he wanted it. +HUH¶VDSLFRIWKHWZRRIWKHP)RUWKRVHRI\RXZKR After much work both below and above water a 35# KDYHQRWEHHQWR.H\:HVWODWHO\DOO,FDQVD\LV³ZH Bruce was put in our dinghy. We all figured it was too DUHQRWLQ.DQVDVDQ\PRUH7RWR´,W¶VDQLQWHUHVWLQJ big for use in our boats but Bryan wanted us to keep it place. so we could take it to the North Channel and tell the On Tuesday April 12 we weighed anchor and went in story. Since it was in my dinghy and we needed slow- to the marina to get gas and water and head back up ing down anyway, that was the first suggestion. How- the keys. Wind was from the south and we had to mo- ever, the weight of that thing was a hindrance to using tor directly into it to get out into the shipping channel. the dinghy so our second plan was try to sell it. The The waves were 6-8 feet and very confused and we next day we sailed to the north side of Key West and were being tossed around and the motor was coming anchored. Then the next day we put a notice on the out of the water and cavitating. We made slow pro-

4 gress, but were finally able to clear the key and turn QDUURZFKDQQHOWRWKHPDULQD:HGLGQ¶WNQRZH[DFWO\ east and raise the main. After the main was up we had where the channel was nor how narrow so normally better control of the boat and once we got off shore a we would be going dead slowly. In this case if we did ELWWKHZDYHVZHUHQ¶WDVEDGDQGZHVWDUWHGVDLOLQJ that, the current would have swept us into a low bridge again. We motor-sailed to Ramrod and Big Pine key and plastered the mast to the roadway. We slowed as for a quiet anchorage. much as we could and then applied full power to the The next day was light wind and mostly on our nose engine and still barely kept from getting swept away. so we motor-sailed all the way to Marathon and got a As soon as we hit the channel, out of the current, we mooring for a week. We spent about 4 days doing had to go to minimum power again to maneuver to the laundry, eating in restaurants, watching entertainers at docks. That called for teamwork to get in that time. Dockside Bar, reading and generally decompressing (Howard Staley should have warned us about that! ;) ) from the previous three weeks. We made two more $OO¶VZHOOWKDWHQGVZHOO:HFKHFNHGLQDQGJRWWKH trips out to Sombrero Reef and the second one was a OD\RIWKHODQGDQGSODQQHGWKHPRUURZ¶VSXOORXW great day for snorkeling with light wind and low We de-rigged the boats and got them loaded and then waves. One day at Marathon, John and I were bringing drove all the way to Tampa to spend the night. Up the dinghy back to the boats and saw some dolphins early the next morning for a 0600 departure and back playing. We admired them and then just as John to home in TN by 1900. A good time was had by all. turned his back to them, one of them cleared the water in a Sea-World type jump. What a time not to have a camera. I believe Mikal saw the jump from the boat. On Monday, April 18, we all walked about a mile to a Keys bus stop and rode 60 or so miles back up to the BoatUS Membership South Dade Marina where we had left our trucks. We ransomed our rigs for about $145 and drove them back group discount down to Ohio Key. Then we called a taxi and rode across the 7-mile bridge back to Marathon to get our For only $15 (a 50% discount on boats. We motor-sailed all the way to Ohio key. One BoatUS Membership dues), members of interesting experience was going under the bridge to get on the inside. The tide was against us and was run- the TRAILER/SAILORS ASSOCIA- ning about 4-5 mph. Our motor was making slow pro- TION will have access to over 26 gress and then suddenly it was making even slower BoatUS benefits and services, including: progress and working really hard, even at full throttle. We had grass caught on the prop and were making about 1-2 mph on CMG but I was afraid to shut down * On-the-water and on-the-road the motor to clear it since we were almost under the towing service bridge, even though we had the wind behind us. * Low cost marine insurance We crossed our fingers and kept going and finally got through the bridge and turned parallel to the road, * Discounts at West Marine jibed the main and cut the motor. I pulled out about a * Discounts on fuel, repairs and half pound of grass around the prop and then dropped transient slips at over 900 marinas. the motor and restarted it and, presto, speed back up to 5 mph. Lesson learned: check for a clean prop before the next motor-centric operation. Join or renew your BoatUS Membership We did make it into the marina, but just barely. Bryan using our group code: GA81128B went in first and called to warn us of the steep turn and the strong current still running. We went in with the current and then had to make a 90 degree turn into a

5 QHZPDVWZRXOGQ¶WEHSUDFWLFDOEHFDXVHRIKDYLQJWR The De-masting ship it by regular freight from California to Missis- sippi. Macgregor referred me to an aluminum extrud- of FELICITY ing company in Connecticut. They said they could make a new mast for me, but shipping a 33 foot mast By: Robert Davis has to be by motor freight and is quite expensive. What to do? The de-masting occurred during a weekly ³:HGQHVGD\1LJKW´UDFHZHKDYHDWWKH%D\- At this point, I recalled a fellow sailor having told me Waveland Yacht Club in my home town of Bay St. about a small, family-owned machine shop out from Louis, Mississippi (BWYC.com ± check it out). The town that is really good at aluminum welding. Having Club sits on the Bay of St. Louis, a shallow estuary off no better option, I called the Cuevas Machine Shop, of the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, and just north of a little rural community known as Kiln, the race courses are laid out on the Bay to take advan- 0LVVLVVLSSL %UHWW)DYUH¶VKRPH³WRZQ´ ³6XUHZH tage of the prevailing southerly winds off the Gulf. ZHOGDOONLQGVRIDOXPLQXPVWXII:H¶YHZHOGHGD These are handicap races. The fleets are a mixture of VDLOERDWPDVWEHIRUHDQGLWZDVQ¶WWRRKDUG%ULQJLW boat types including Flying Scotts, Lightnings, 420s, LQ´$JDLQVWWKHDGYLFHRIVRPHRIWKHPRVWNQRZO Sunfish, and cruising boats like my trailer-sailor Mac- edgeable sailors in the Yacht Club who said such a gregor 26D, FELICITY (1989 vintage). FELICITY UHSDLUZRXOGQ¶WKROG,KDXOHGWKHWZRSLHFHVRIP\ has a shallow draft, a nearly flat bottom with no keel, mast to the Cuevas Machine Shop on the top rack of water ballast and a dagger board. She survived Hurri- my pick-up truck. cane Katrina sitting on her trailer a few blocks from the shore. Not many boats around here survived that Imagine my surprise when Mr. Cuevas called me the storm. next day saying that my mast was repaired. They had inserted a smaller piece of aluminum pipe extending In the race on May 16, 2010, FELICITY was on a port about 18 inches on either side of the break and welded tack attempting to round the final mark (a channel LWDOODURXQGH[FHSWIRUWKHPDLQVDLO¶VWUDFN,WGLGQ¶W marker 25 feet high) when I got too close to the look all that great, but at least it was in one piece. The marker and the top of it caught my aft-stay. I was sure bill was $92.00! To retrieve the repaired mast I had to ,KDGSOHQW\RIURRPWRURXQGWKHPDUNHU,FRXOGQ¶W WDNH)(/,&,7<¶VWUDLOHURXWWRWKH6KRSDQGVWUDSWKH believe I was drifting into it until it was too late. The mast on with red flags tied to the overhang. What a aft-stay snapped, the aluminum mast broke at the relief to get it safely back to the Club. But, that was spreaders and came crashing down into the starboard just the start of getting FELICITY seaworthy again. side of the cockpit. The main and genoa went into the water. Luckily my crewman and I were on the port Removing the mast from the boat gave me the oppor- side and were not hit. We pulled the sails partly back WXQLW\WRLQVSHFWWKHGDJJHUERDUG

6 of St. Louis became the resting place for myriad stoves, refrigerators and sunken boats, along with How NOT to Sell Your countless other items of debris. Although the U.S. Coast Guard spent lots of Katrina recovery money Boat (generously provided by American taxpayers) to clear By, Jim Nielsen. this debris, it was not uncommon to be sailing along and strike some hard object under the surface. One too A few years back I found myself in the unenviable po- PDQ\RIWKHVH³EXPSV´RYHUWLPHPLJKWKDYHFDXVHG sition of owning two sailboats. Now, I guess there is )(/,&,7<¶VGDJJHUERDUGWRVORZO\EUHDNDSDUWEXW nothing intrinsically wrong with having two boats if ZH¶OOQHYHUNQRZH[DFWO\KRZLWKDSSHQHG you can afford to keep them both. Therein lies the rub.

7REULQJWKLV³VDLORU¶VQLJKWPDUH´WRDFORVHLWWRRN Boat number 1 was a Santana 21 Built by Schock in six weeks for the new Macgregor dagger board to ar- Corona, California in 1973.. At 6.2 meters she was rive. Once the new board was installed, I stepped my stiff, fast and nimble, she was built to the specifica- repaired mast and was ready to re-launch. It so hap- tions of the west coasts MORC. ( midget offshore rac- pens that in repairing my mast the Cuevas Machine ing conference ) rules The same hull is still cam- Shop could not make it completely straight. At the paigned in one of the largest fleets raced on the gusty point of repair, the mast bends ever so slightly aft. Of San Francisco Bay. Though they are now called, due course, this bend makes a slight change in shape of my to a reverse transom, a Santana 22; and with a full main. It gives it a certain fullness you might say. I roach main they are faster than ever. ZRQGHUHGZKDWHIIHFWWKLVZRXOGKDYHRQ)(/,&,7<¶V performance, but what alternative did I have but to try She sure was a great little sailor. I bought her for a it out? There was also the question of whether the re- VRQJLQµIURPDJHQWZKRZDVUHWLULQJWR)ODDQG paired mast would be strong enough. needed a quick sale. I guess the old adage, you get what you pay for has a certain relevance here. She was ,FDQ¶WH[SODLQLWEXW)(/,&,7

She came with a tandem-axle Sterling trailer and if we

7 thought the boat was in rough shape, it was just a cerned for the boat as the storm worsened. He went on warm up for the trailer rehab. Anyhow we got through about how the cloudless blue sky was over taken so most of that and sailed her on Lake Michigan for our quickly by a greenish black wall as the wind started to first few seasons as we rebuilt the trailer. Then trailed blow hard and then harder and the waves went from her to Fond du Lac ,WI . and all over Michigan for the little waves to big waves crashing over the pier and next few years. Hitting pretty much every thing on the even the light house in no time. He went on to say that VRXWKHQGRIWKHODNH6KHDOVRKDGRQO\¶´KHDG as they watched and waited in the beach house as the room, and as a lot of trailer sailors know, lying down little boat was quite the topic of conversation of the to pull up your pants gets old after a while. crowd from the rained-out festival. He ended by saying that when the boat finally made it in that the peo- (QWHU.DWH(6KHZDVDYHU\OLJKWO\XVHGµ2¶'D\ ple actually applauded as it passed by having made it FEZLWKDQLQERDUGGLHVHODQG¶´KHDGURRP6KH safely into the harbor. I replied, well I guess I can see ZDVDQGLVRXUGUHDPERDW:KLOHZHVWLOOGRQ¶WUHWULHYH her point. That would turn anybody off from ever with our trailer, we can trail her as fast as we can af- wanting to sail. Then the wheels started to turn and I ford the gas to do it. VDLGKPP\RXVD\"«PDGHKDUERUDERXW 7:30 ? Yeah says he. A white boat with blue boot I tried to keep both boats and trailers up for two sea- stripe and canvas? Yep again. With an old freaked-out sons, but it became increasingly clear that with our looking guy at the tiller and a tow-head lad in the budget one of them had to go. So with big beautiful FRFNSLW"$JDLQ\HV:HOO,¶PVXUH\RXJHWWKHGULIWE\ Kate E in our lives the Gull Friend had to go. now. Kate E and her crew of two had just concluded her overnight passage from Chicago to So. Haven. Just I ran the usual gamut of posting on the web, I also got LQFDVH\RXDUHZRQGHULQJ«\HVWKHUHZDVDVL]DEOH around a lot in my job as a regional semi-tractor trailer crowd on the pier and yes a rather hearty round of ap- driver. So I hung fliers everywhere I went. Six weeks plause. passed and nothing. Finally as I pulled my rig into a terminal some seventy miles from home, Ricky, a .DWH(¶VORJGHSDUWHG&DOXPHW+EUSW younger guy I kind of knew from way back when we cloudy SW wind, 12kt. 2 crew. ourse 30 deg mag. both started with our company, came over and said. NOAA forecast was calling for fair weather through- ³sailboat, out a few miles. The idea being, in a perilous lee shore situation I All the other boats had made safe harbor and he re- would deploy the Danforth at the 14 ft. sand bar, ubiq- counted how more than a few in the crowd were con- uitous in Lake Michigan coastal waters, as soon as it

8 GUDJJHGWKHQRVHWRWKHZLQG,¶GGHSOR\WKH%UXFH Most assuredly all this is not intended to be a tale of and if it did not hold fast we would abandon ship. Of daring do, rather, a page out of the book on prepared- course this would put us at some risk but preferable to ness. As a young man I found myself more than a few going on the rocks aboard. I then made all efforts to times out in heavy weather on midsized lakes in both reduce windage and secure loose items for a rough power and sail. I have learned well the lesson that a ride. small failure and a touch of panic can readily cascade into a truly dangerous scenario. For me the only way 18:10 NOAA radio and US Coast Guard, Milwaukee, to be properly prepared is practice, practice, practice. issues severe marine weather warning. Thorough maintenance and heavy weather boat handling techniques should be a must if your going off- 18:15 Made Pan-Pan to Coast Guard to inform them VKRUHHYHQWHQPLOHVXQGHUVDLO,¶YHWDNHQP\ERDWRXW of our situation and position. I told the Coasties that many times by choice in light gales and thunderstorms we had clean fuel and fresh filters and did not antici- and practiced heaving to. These sort things are some- pate any failure, but closed with our intent to go over thing I felt I must try, fail and get good or at least bet- the side should the engine fail, and would Mayday be- ter at if I was ever feel adequately prepared to sail off- fore tossing the anchors. As expected they suggested VKRUH,¶YHEHHQNQRFNHGGRZQWZLFHDQGGLVPDVWHG remaining aboard the vessel. Long story short, the once. One time as the second low in double occluded worst of the straight line winds went onshore in Van front came through she got knocked so flat I had to let Buren County at 111 mph. I would estimate the wind the main and jib sheets fly before she could find her speed at our location between at NNW 65 to 70 mph . feet as the sails were under water. The sea state went from six foot rollers to 10 to 12- foot square-top breakers in 20 minutes. At the worst of 1RZVXUHO\,PHDQ³GRQRWWU\WKLVDWKRPH´ORO it, I recall from my seat at mid cockpit looking over More to simply to suggest that a day sail with an inex- the cowling down past the rear of the starboard cabin perienced crew or boat is not the best time to tap into port light/window into the trough of the next wave. the learning curve should the weather freshen-up well That very novel and exciting view would necessitate at SDVWRQH¶VFRPIRUW]RQH6RPHH[SHULHQFHZLWKKHDY\ least 12 feet of hull in the air. For me the toughest part weather theory and appropriate tactics is in order be- of the whole adventure was timing the turn of 110 de- fore one needs them to keep boat and crew safe and grees off the 40 kn. of NNW wind and abeam the comfy. Our sailing grounds here on Great Lakes offer breaking seas that were indeed putting the entire South so many wonderful days of fine sailing, but it serves to Haven breakwall and a fair portion of the light under remember that they can also quickly churn up weather green water at just the right time. as wild as any ocean. To me that means having ones ³ZKDWLI«"³DFFRXQWDVIXOO\IXQGHGDVSRVVLEOH Obviously we timed it right. The GPS showed 13.8 mph at 19:42 as we surfed in behind the breakwall. :HOO«WRVXPXS«*XOO)ULHQGQHYHUGLGVHOO:H Thru all this the lad never shed a tear or shared a fear- donated her to the American Lung Disease Society. ful word even as we discussed events or options. More RYHUKHZDVDOLWWOHGLVDSSRLQWHGWKDWZHGLGQ¶WJHWWR body surf in.

We were met at the first available open dock in a fal- OLQJUDLQE\DKDLORI³.DWH(WRVVDOLQHVLULI\RX SOHDVH´$QROGHUJHQWZKRWXUQHGRXWUHWLUHGPHU chant marine who had heard our vhf call to the ³FRDVWLHV´HDUOLHUDQGOHIWWKHGU\ZDUPWKRIKLVKRPH to help a couple of weary sailors tie up. Proves the fact that there are kind folks everywhere and somehow we seem to find more than our share.

9 There are two marinas in Port A and both offer easy Spring on the Texas access to protected sailing and quick access to the Gulf. Both of these features are rarities on the Texas Coast ± 2011 Coast. by David Craigie, Incipient Hunter 26 The most visible of the two marinas, the Port Aransas Municipal Marina, is located in the heart of Port A and When you gaze around, you could mistakenly think is within walking distance of restaurants, bistros, parks that you are in Florida, perhaps somewhere on the and other entertainment. Within sight of the marina are west coast. There are canal homes: there are palm the Corpus Christi shipping channel and the jetties trees: the weather is warm and the water is salty. The leading to the Gulf waters. This offers an entertaining dead giveaway though is when you spy the prolifera- view of passing vessels; there is a constant flow of tion of orange Long Horn flags hung from almost pleasure boats, barge traffic, container ships, tankers, every terrace and veranda; then you know that you are oil field equipment and the occasional Navy ship that indeed in Texas. are just a hoot to watch as they dwarf the channel and snake their way in and out . It had been several years since we trailed Incipient to DVRXWKHUQYHQXHGXULQJWKHZLQWHU«*UDQGNLGV« The Port But this year we had a little free time and wanted to go Aransas somewhere for a while. From our home in Oklahoma Municipal City it is 1500 miles, or more, to any Florida sailing Marina is destination. The Texas coast, on the other hand, is half a cool that distance, or less. At 10 MPG, and with fuel prices place to be what they are, this was a significant concern. And then if you like there was the time-behind-the-wheel issue; three days to be at to Florida or an easy day plus to Texas. The older I get ground the longer these treks seem. zero and GRQ¶W In 1997 we had mind a sailed the Texas little noise and a lot of tourist traffic. But we came to coast and my relax and our choice was Island Moorings Marina with memories were a more laid back atmosphere. that there is not a http://www.portaransasisland.com/ whole lot to see; IslandMooringsMarina.aspx there was a lot of ditch traveling in Located about two miles up the Corpus Christi Ship- the Gulf ICW, ping Channel and then about two more miles up a pri- oyster shoals all vate channel, Island Moorings is completely sur- around, scary rounded by land in the middle of the island in a canal competition with home development. There are several live-aboards and barge traffic and WINDY; highlight that last word, a few charter fishing boats. But it is mostly private WINDY. But we did like what we saw when we boats, power and sail, that the owners keep in this cruised through and spent a little time in Port Aransas quiet and protected area. By road it is about two miles and the Corpus Christi area. So we chose to return to to downtown Port A. Port Aransas, or Port A as the locals call it, for a PRQWK¶VYLVLW$WDPHUHPLOHVIURPKRPH3RUW$ There is a key pad on the gate and that is comforting. is located on Mustang Island, the barrier island that But I never saw any indication that it was needed. forms and protects Corpus Christi Bay . Everyone was very friendly and there was never any mention of problems in the marina or Port A for that

10 matter. In Texas style, people nod to you and say good If you are into morning, weather they know you or not . bird watching and bicycling, Some of the amenities of Island Moorings are: clean then Port A of- rest rooms and showers, a pool (unheated and a little fers wonderful cool) and a hot tub. There is WiFi, a fuel dock with opportunities for free pumpout and a ships store to buy an ice cream or both. There are bait. The docks are modern, floating and well kept. numerous wet- There was always free coffee at the ships store (the lands and public bird watching areas and several islands that are strictly for the birds and can only be seen from the deck of a boat. I could list the numerous birds that are indigenous or migrate through this area, but the most interesting is the Com- mon Loon so often seen in northern waters. Other then a winter plumage change they are just as interesting to watch in Port A as when they are up north. Another cruisers magic word: free) to be enjoyed in the com- favorite that we enjoyed watching was the Pied-Billed pany of the occasional live-aboard at shaded picnic Grebe. Much like a loon, they would hang around the tables. The dockhands and marina staff were always marina and dive between the boats, many times com- friendly and would go out of their way to make your ing up with a catch. There were gulls, pelicans, spoon- stay comfortable. Local island transportation is avail- bills, ducks of all kinds and scores of land birds to be able during the day from the Island Trolley that will seen, especially in the bird watching areas. pick you up adjacent to the marina and costs very little. In addition, there is a nice ramp and ample parking We brought our bikes along and were not disap- space for you trailer and your vehicle. pointed. The two-mile ride to town was a good way to get in a little exercise before stopping at the ice cream The cost of dockage was reasonable . Our month stay store. A nice ride was always available in the marina was $315 and this included a $60 live-aboard fee. Al- and canal home areas or just head across the highway though we reserved our space well in advance, there and you are at the beach. was ample space still available. The cost at the Mu- nicipal Marina is about $100 less. Other less expen- Biking on the beach really surprised me; the beach sive options can be found, but we felt that for all the roads are endless with hard packed sand that double as amenities that Island Moorings offered, we were get- a road for beach traffic. One day I rode almost 20 ting a fair deal. miles round trip on the beach. What better way to get some fun and sun and beach time. Needless to say, I There are several anchorages in the area and we spent used my bike a lot, spent a lot of time at the beach and the night in a few. The bottom ranges from a soft mud really enjoyed getting the daily exercise, especially to sand. The holding is extraordinary and we never ZKHQWKHZLQGVDLG³12´WRVDLOLQJ experienced any difficulty anchoring or holding in the windy conditions. The waters ranged in the mid 70s How to get to Port Aransas temperature and the clarity of the water was similar to an inland lake; cloudy and certainly not gin clear. Located on the Texas coast south of San Antonio, there are two ways to arrive in Port A. We came down

11 from Oklahoma City on I-35 and then on I-37 out of And then there is the Jimmy factor; have you ever San Antonio. Coming in on the west side of Corpus heard JB sing about Texas? It is hard to say that Christi, we reached the Island by crossing the high Texas is a lot like Florida when there is a world of in- span Kennedy Bridge that traverses the Gulf ICW. dividual difference between the two. It is kind of like saying that I am a lot like you. So if you live closer to The other way to access the Island is by way of Port Texas then Florida and are looking for a less expen- Arthur and take the free ferry across to the island. This sive sailing venue, then the Texas Gulf waters may be will put you in downtown Port A and minutes away for you. I highly recommend Port Aransas as a desti- from everything. It depends on which way you are nation when compared to the rest of the Texas coast. coming as to which way would be best. If you are coming during Spring Break, it is best to totally avoid The weather is a big factor when going to Texas. Our the ferry as it could be a few hours wait to cross over. visit was from Mid-March to Mid-April. Any earlier But the other way is congested during this time too. So and you might experience a frost on your deck. I have perhaps you should bring a snack and enjoy the scen- been on the Texas coast during the dead of winter and ery. The ferry is an enjoyable diversion on non-sailing it was not pleasant. It was a cold and damp and mil- days. Several times I would bike downtown and walk dew grew faster on boat cushions then crab grass. on the ferry just for the ride. No waiting time to do Florida is not always pleasant during the winter either, this. but it is warmer in the dead of winter then Texas. So, if you live in Minnesota, it may not seem that bad to So why go to Texas versus going to Florida? just get a frost. But, living in Oklahoma, the winters are not that harsh. So we can tough it out and stay Distance was a huge factor; Texas versus Florida. The home during the dead of winter and wait for things to fuel cost alone to trail an additional 1000 miles X 2 warm up in Texas. would have cost an extra $800, and then there is the wear and tear on our rig to consider. The weather might have been a little better if we had chosen to go in May. It is said that April is the windi- The price and availability of dockage was another is- est month on the Texas coast and the oppressive sum- sue. When we trail to northern venues we hesitatingly mer days struggle to generate a breeze. But life gets take dockage. Cruising on the Texas coast almost de- busy at our house during May as we get ready to leave mands that you take a slip. Even in the years when we for the summer and cooler climes. So, if we go again went to Florida, the times that we took a dock made to the Port A area, it will just have to be in the same OLIH³PRUHFLYLOL]HG´'RFNDJHLQWKH&RUSXV&KULVWL time frame. Port A area, is plentiful and reasonably priced. The same cannot be said of Florida where the prices are See you on the water comparatively higher and availability was a little thin in some areas.

In general, things are a little cheaper in Texas then Florida; fuel, dockage and restaurants for example. But there are some things that are better in Florida then Texas. Reef snorkeling in the Texas Gulf waters is non-existent. The water clarity is more like an LQODQGODNHWKHQWKHRFHDQDQG,GRQ¶WNQRZRIDQ\ coral in the area. Mangroves are noticeably absent here and this makes a big difference when trying to find a protected anchorage. And while there are palm trees, sand dunes and miles of white sandy beaches, the shelling is sparse and the waves are probably too small to surf.

12 A WINTER-- SAIL Henk Vanderhulst February 2011 What should I do now that the snow is flying and it is too cold outside for any activity other than a walk? How about some winter-sailing? All you need for that is to remember the pleasure you had sailing with a bunch of good friends. And so I went once again through some of my old logs to see what group-sail tickled my fancy. Ah,,,, here is a good one. It says: North Channel 2004. /HW¶VVHHLIWKDWROGORJFDQEHWXUQHGLQWRDVWRU\

North Channel Group-sail 2004. R¶FORFN*R*HQWO\ZDVULJJHGDQGUHDG\IRUODXQFK It is always quite a job to prepare for a cruise in the We now had time to chat with those who had also North Channel, and not forget anything. There is all been busy getting their boats ready. that food, pots and pans and such. And what will we need in the way of clothing, towels, swim-gear etc. At that time Sia makes a nasty discovery: oops,,, the bag that I had thrown in the garbage bin was not gar- It is a good thing that you have gone through all of EDJH,WFRQWDLQHGDSDLURI6LD¶VIDYRULWHVKRHV that in previous years. Even if you did not make a list, you usually make out OK. My wife and I have a rule: What to do? I quickly called Wright in Britt and asked once we have left our driveway, we take about half an them to check in that bin. And sure enough: they hour to consider if we have forgotten anything. If it is found it. Now, how to get that up to Spanish? Lucky something minor, we keep going. But in case we have for us we knew that the Clements had not left home; forgotten something like the outboard or a sail or such, with a phone-call we got their promise that they would we would turn back. Lucky for us, this has never hap- stop and pick it up pened.

This year it was especially challenging to get it all together: Go Gently was docked in a marina, and that meant getting her on the trailer, de-rig and prepare for the trip north. And since our daughter Linda and her husband John had come from Florida and stayed with us, flying home a day prior to our trip to Spanish, we had a couple of demanding days! Linda helped me to get Go Gently on the trailer before they left. But this gave us only a day prior to our departure!

We were up very early on July 16 and at 6 am we were on our way. Our plan was to stop in Britt in order to drop off my kayak, because since Sia would be with me for the first two weeks, we would use our rubber GLQJK\6RZHVWRSSHGDW:ULJKW¶V0DULQD:HKDGD bag of garbage in the van. I took this and dropped it in We decide to wait with launching until Saturday, July the garbage bin before we went on our way again. 17. It has been a big and tiresome day and this is a good decision. We sleep well with the boat on the At 4 pm we arrived at Spanish Marina and at 6 trailer.

So on Saturday we launch without a problem and once We enjoy a potluck meal on the rocks (always good!) docked, we meet more of the group and I help with the In the evening I discover that we had moved some. launching. Before long the Clements arrive. I find that the anchor had hooked onto a log and was pulling it slowly along the bottom! My re-anchoring is 6XUHHQRXJKKHUHFRPHV,UHQHZLWK6LD¶VVKRHV:KDW successful. Just as well that I discovered this before a relief! We are very grateful since they had to make a going to sleep. detour to pick them up.

All that walking, talking and launching makes for a busy day. Through the day Pete and Carol Bowman DUULYHRQ³-HVV\%´DVZHOODVWKH(GJHUWRQVRQ ³:DYHGDQFHU´7KHVHWZRERDWVFDPHE\ZDWHU ,QWKHHYHQLQJZHDOOHQMR\WKH³JHW-WRJHWKHU´SRWOXFN which is again a success. And the Captains meeting is well attended. By 10 pm we are in bed and have a good sleep after another busy day.

Sia and I are up at 7 am and after breakfast we head into town for some last minute shopping. At 11:30 Go Gently is on her way ahead of the pack. There is only a slight breeze; we try with our balloon sail, but we have to get the iron horse working. The weather is great and sure enough; shortly after 1 pm we are close hauled at 5 kt. It is a gorgeous day! The next morning we are off the hook at 9 am. Our At 4:15 we have the hook down at Dewdney. Before GHVWLQDWLRQLV*RUH%D\%XWZRXOGQ¶W\RXNQRZLW long most of the group are at anchor or tied to shore. that nasty wind imp spoils it, and we get the wind on We enjoy supper with Pat and Karl aboard their Island the nose!! And that for 17 NM!? At first we try tack- Packet; they will be heading for Detour at 6 am in the ing but that is way too slow! Next we do some motor morning. sailing, We end up motoring it all the way. We make Gore Bay by 2:35. Some take a dock, but Sia and I The next day we go in search of blueberries, but it is prefer to anchor: docks are usually noisy things. slim pickings. We decide to also move into Cleary Cove where most of the others are. We do quite a bit of visiting back and forth. It is too bad that just as we think of preparing for a blueberry pancake supper together, it starts to rain. We end up enjoying ours in our cabin with the Clements.

Tuesday July 20. We had a nice quiet night. The day starts with some rain and thunder. Taranui heads for Long Point while the rest (10 boats) set course for the Turnbull Islands. It is slow going. Go Gently is wing- on-wing and takes the lead. We are the first boat in and shortly after 12 we have our hook down. The weather is pleasant and Sia and I go for a nice dinghy ride. We find that it is an interesting group of islands for dinghy and kayak rides.

14 As we have done before, we take our regular spot just shore-tying and SE of the marina. We have a pleasant meal with the rafting. We have a rest of our group in a restaurant downtown. We awake very pleasant day to a dark sky. It has been raining through the night, but with cool sunny it stays dry for the rest of the day. We had planned to weather. We do a walk up the road on the east side of the bay in order to fair bit of rock- get to the nice overlook, but since the day is going to walking and blue- be overcast we give up on that. berry picking. We find plenty for a We leave Gore Bay with three other boats: the rest of good blueberry pan- the group wish to spend another day here. Our aim for cake feast. Before this day is South Benjamin: about 13 NM. But this long Sia and her young friend from another boat are making enough pancakes for everyone in our little group. Yum yum! Sia and I dinghy all the way around South Benjamin, while the others get to see three bears. This was all together a very pleasant sunny day.

In the morning the other three boats pull out ahead of XVDURXQGR¶FORFN6LDDQG,ZDONDOORYHU6RXWK Benjamin once more, after which we pull out. We are on our way to Kagawong. We had hoped to have a nice sailing breeze, but that is not to be: no wind at all! time it works out better for us. We are doing about 5 Kagawong is a neat little town with some interesting kn and are wing-on-wing most of the way. The last shops such as the Chocolate Shop etc. But I go for a stretch is a broad-reach at mostly 6 kn. tasty ice-cream! As we have done before, we walk the neat trail to the Bridal Veil Falls. The pool below 6KRUWO\DIWHURQHR¶FORFNZHKDYHRXUKRRNGRZQDW the falls is a nice swimming hole and I go for a dip. South Benjamin. The last bit got a little uncomfortable as it got quite lumpy. We were doing close to 7 kn and When we get back we meet up with Jack Metzel and glad to get into shelter! Dave & Donna Laux. We dinghy back to Go Gently and before long we are on our way to Little Current. Our regular spot is out of bounds: a motorboat has lines across the cove, preventing others from getting The weather is perfect and a nice breeze comes up just in! There is nothing for it but go to the North end. ZKHQZHQHHGLW³7KDQN\RX:LQG,PS´:HDUH Here we experience an unpleasant surge. We go close reaching at about 4.5 kn. At 6 pm we tie up at deeper into the corner and drop both anchors: it will the Public Dock and do some grocery shopping. We have to do. We enjoy a climb up to the high rocks for leave the dock just in time to make the 7 pm bridge. pictures. That was slick work!

Friday July 23 starts with a cloudy sky. But before We do the 7 NM to Heywood while Sia cooks a very long the clouds disappear and it turns into a very good meal down below. We anchor just in time to join pleasant day. I go and check out our regular hole and WKHR¶FORFNUDGLRQHW6HYHUDOERDWVRSWIRU find that it is available. So the four boats move there, Sheguiandah.

15 ,SURPLVHGWRWDNH6LDWR.LOODUQH\IRUILVKµQFKLSV6R Sunday, July 25. I head back down on my own in 25 minutes. Shortly During the radio-net seven boats decide to head for after eleven we are on our way and since we have Sheguiandah. Most of this fleet consists of Precisions some shopping to do, we dock at the store for gas and water. If there is space and you have some business there, they generally allow you to stay at their dock. $IWHURXUIHDVWRIILVKµQFKLSVZHVD\JRRGE\HWRWKH group. Go Gently and us are heading for the Bad River.

At 1:15 we are on our way. Wow: we are enjoying some good winds right from the start, averaging 5 kn. It is a good run with the whisker pole, often over 6 kn. We are in at the Bad River anchorage just before supper time. Now; that was a perfect sail! This is a nice area for dinghy and kayak rides and so we do some of that. We try to get up the rapids but the current is too strong.

23: Taranui, Wavedancer, Loon-a-Sea, Maia Lisa and :HPDQDJHWRJHWTXLWHFORVHWR'HYLO¶V'RRU5DSLGV Go Gently. I am sure that this is the first time a group and get a good push when turning around. After our has that many P 23s together! The other two boats are snooze we think it is high time for a bath. I rig a Eventide and Valdon. shower curtain for Sia so she can have a peaceful bath in the cockpit while I go swimming, taking some soap At 9:30 we are on our way and at 11:45 our group is along. Ah, that feels good! DWDQFKRUFORVHWRVKRUH:HGRQ¶WVHHDVRXO,GHFLGH to go for a look-see. The place seems deserted! Finally We dinghy into the east arm as far as we can get. Next I meet up with someone who can give me an idea of we leave for the French River on a jib-run, arriving at the lay-out of the place. Shortly after lunch we are all McDougal Cove before suppertime. We want to reach ashore and walk to the small but interesting Museum. our daughter Corene in Sarnia by phone, so we take That is pretty well all there is to see and at 2 pm we the dinghy to McIntosh Lodge. But again we have no are off the hook and heading for Covered Portage luck: she is not home. It seems strange to be all by Cove. Would you believe it? That nasty little guy up ourselves! in the clouds is doing it again to us: with the wind on the nose it is motoring all the way! The new day breaks with perfect weather: sunny, We are glad enough to reach C P C and at 6:30 we are quiet and peaceful. At 9:00 we leave and at 10:15 we at anchor. Several of our original group are already have our hook down in the Bustards. We go for a nice here. After something to eat, Sia and I join a small Dinghy ride and after we get back, Mike from a 30 ft group ashore to enjoy marshmallows at a camp fire. Grampian comes over with his two very friendly dogs. We all agree that it was a good day in spite of the lack After a beautiful sunset it is time for bed. of sailing winds. We had a good and peaceful night and wake up to an- The next morning Dave Laux guides us along a fairly other perfect day, so we decide to do some loafing. demanding trail on the West side of C P C. We suspect :HDUHLQYLWHGDERDUG³6HD7HUQ´IRUFRIIHHDQGJHW that parts of this trail are privately owned. But we see lots of lickies from their two nice dogs. While we are nobody to stop us and no signs, so we carry on to a there, a 40 ft Hunter runs hard onto the rocks. What- neat high lookout. Here we are about 300 ft up with a ever they try, their position gets worse. Two big Zodi- broad view of Lansdowne Channel. acs try to get her off by speeding past and throwing a big wave! Obviously this only shoves the Hunter

16 higher on the rocks! Next they cleat lines between the Hunter and those two Zodiacs. This does not help one bit! In the mean time we are still on Sea Tern and since we are quite close, we enjoy the show. Not really: we feel rather sorry for these folks!

This latest effort only manages to pull the boat somewhat upright but it does not move an inch! Of course there are any number of people there, giving all man- ner of advice. I promised myself not to get involved. However I see what I think might do the trick. I dinghy over and tell the owner that they might have better luck if those lines to the Zodiacs were to be run from deck-cleats on the low side and then under the boat to WKHSRZHUERDWV+HVDLG³ZKDWKDYHZHJRWWRORRVH´ And following my advice they soon have their boat beaver eating the heads of some Bull Lilies. It is a cool off. All seems OK and no major damage. All this took evening. The ladies have the boat to themselves while about three hours! I sleep in the tent. I hope no bear disturbs my sleep!

After lunch we leave the Bustards at 1 pm. Our target We awaken to a dark sky and it is cool; not so pleas- this time is Black Bay. We run on part jib and motor ant. Corene is tired from her long drive, so we leave doing about 6 kn. Just before 4 pm we are at anchor her be while we go for a dinghy ride. Shortly after QHDU/LQGD¶V,VODQGLQ%ODFN%D\,WLVKLJKWLPHWRGR noon the sun comes out and the rest of the day is very VRPHODXQGU\DQG,JHWWKHMRERIZDVKLQJ6LD¶VKDLU pleasant. The three of us take the dinghy and we see a We also do some boat-cleaning because we will soon Hawk, some Vultures as well as Cardinal flowers and have company a board! The evening is quiet and very Orchids. And we spot a Fritillary Butterfly. Sad to say pleasant. they are becoming rare.

Next day; Friday July 30 dawns cool and cloudy. We 1H[WZHODQGDW/LQGD¶V,VODQGIRUVRPHH[SORULQJ,W DUHRQRXUZD\DWR¶FORFNKHDGLQJIRU%ULWW$W Go Gently is at anchor near St. Amands Marina. We take time to have a snooze since the boat is in order to have daughter Corene come aboard.

6W$PDQGVGRFNVDUHDOOWDNHQ,ZDONWR:ULJKW¶V Marina to see if they have room: yes. So I walk back to St A. Just then Corene arrives. I take Go Gently to :ULJKW¶VDQGFROOHFWWKHND\DN,SDGGOHWR6W$EXW the ladies are not there. What a mix-up! We finally get everything sorted out and now with Corene aboard with a load of stuff, we are on our way back to Black Bay.

Sia and I had checked out the rock-dock in The Hole but that is now occupied. Too bad! So we go into what we call Cardinal Bay on account of all the pretty Car- is a neat island with interesting rock-formations. We dinal Flowers. We have this cove all to ourselves! I pick a load of blueberries to enjoy with our supper. set up my tent on shore. Then we have a pleasant sup- And then we make a cozy fire ashore and roast some per and do quite some talking. Fairly close by we see a PDUVKPDOORZV:HDUHQRZDQFKRUHGFORVHWR/LQGD¶V

17 Island where I have set up my tent. Corene ends up having a badly swollen ankle. Lucky for us we have a good mosquito net. After supper the It was quite breezy through the night but we slept flies have gone home and we get a chance to go for a well. The destination for today is The Bustards. We nice dinghy ride. Some deerflies are still around to are off at 9:40 and go by way of the small craft route pester us! since we would have to motor anyway. The water is a bit rough in the open stretches but otherwise OK. At We enjoy a good night. And then it is time to head 12:40 we are safely at anchor. All three of us have a into Britt, because Sia and Corene want to be on their snooze. And then I find a good spot and make my way back to Sarnia, which is about an eight hour camp. Close by is a fire-pit, so a fire is called for and drive. And so we leave Olga Bay at 7 AM. It takes us we enjoy some more marshmallows. ULJKWRQDQKRXUPRWRULQJWR:ULJKW¶V0DULQD4XLWHD lot of stuff goes back home with them and that takes a On Monday Aug.2 we wake up to a beautiful morning. fair bit of doing. They are off at 9:30. I need some gas $WWHQR¶FORFNZHWDNHRIIIRU5XGL¶V3RWKROH2XU and top up the water-WDQN%HIRUHOHDYLQJ:ULJKW¶V, friend Rudi discovered this and even though it is quite had phoned the cottage of a friend of ours, situated on far and rather hard to find, it is well worth it. Besides; an island close to Parry Sound. The previous year her it is a pleasant trip, which we do with Sia and I in the husband died of a heart attack. I did not get her on the dinghy while towing Corene in the kayak. All goes phone, but talked to her daughter who told me that her well and we have some fun at the hole where we take PRWKHUZRXOGEHDWWKHFRWWDJH³7KH2ZO¶V1HVW´LQD turns sitting down with just our head showing. couple of days and will be pleased to have me drop by. So this is where I am heading. Once we are back it is time for lunch and a snooze. Soon we are again on our way; this time to the bay on All is fairly tidy when I get on my way at 9:30. The the East side. I have often thought of anchoring here. dinghy is again stored down below. And my kayak is Maybe I will try that one day. There is never a boat in following Go Gently like an obedient doggie on a here. And yet it should make a good gunk hole. leash. As soon as I am in open water I get a nice wind from the NW and I am sailing wing on wing. At 10:30 When we get back to Go Gently it is time for supper. the wind drops but is still moving me at 4 kn. Fifteen We repeat what we did the previous evening, enjoying minutes later I am again doing 5.5 kn on a broad the beautiful evening at a nice fire. reach. And at noon Go Gently is moving at a good clip on a beam reach. It is beautiful weather. The only Aug. 3 brings us a very pleasant morning. It is time for thing that is bothersome is the hordes of biting flies: us to head back to Byng Inlet. First I have to break up not funny at all! I kill them by the dozens! my camp, which does not take long. After a good An hour later I notice that they learned a lesson: if breakfast we lift the hook at 9:30. Once we are in open they do not bite, I stop killing them. So it is a Mexican water we get a very good sailing wind. We go around Stand-off! the three lighthouses heading SE, taking the outside route. The kayak is tied on top of the dinghy. It is At about 2:20 I head in at Pointe au Baril. The wind is working well that way. down and it is motor-WLPH$QGZRXOGQ¶W\RXNQRZ it; the flies are now in full attack and biting! I kill Going by way of the Byng Inlet South Channel, we them by the hundreds but they are winning this battle! are soon threading our way into one of my favorite I count up to twenty sitting on one leg! gunk holes: Olga Bay, carefully motoring all the way in. The weather stays nice. Our anchor is down at $WIRXUR¶FORFN,DPDWDQFKRULQ1DGHDX%D\7KH 2:00. first thing I do is to put up the mosquito net. I make my supper down below. Once the flies stop flying I go After our snooze we discover that the flies have come and clean up all those dead bodies from the cockpit. to join us! They bite, which usually means a change in So much for Canadian Wildlife!! the weather. But even worse are the many deerflies.

18 I am in a clean-up mood, so I tidy up down below and check. So, over a long distance between two buoys I sort through food etc. And some more cleaning out- use the formula D/T=S. It gives the answer 6 ¼ kn, side. telling me that the knot-meter is OK. A few times it One important thing I manage to do is: kill the big spi- shows close to seven! der that has continually annoyed me with making a large web around the outboard. In a way they are our Just before noon I pass Killbear point and cross over friends, but they are also messy. 3DUU\6RXQG WKHED\ -XVWDIWHURQHR¶FORFNWKHDQ chor is down near the Coastguard Station. It has Since it is a beautiful evening, I take the kayak for a started to cloud over and is becoming cooler. Since I spin around the bay. I also drop by and say hallo to the do not like the spot I have chosen to anchor, I move to folks on a well maintained old Alberg 39. They are Oak Bay. This is a small bay behind Oak Island with strangers to this area and are eager to get some info. the entry to the SW.

Charley has been acting up again! Something more permanent will have to been done! But first I kayak into Parry Sound, park my kayak and walk the forty minutes to the grocery store for some needed supplies. It is too bad that this store moved from down-town all the way up the hill. After enjoying half a submarine, I carry my heavy load back to the harbor and paddle the twenty minutes back to Oak Bay.

While I was away a Catalina 25 has joined Go Gently. I paddle over and meet the nice young couple Roger and Eileen. They are new to sailing in Georgian Bay. Taking my charts, I am invited aboard. But first we enjoy a good meal prepared by Eileen. Then we get So I do some chart work with them: much appreci- into a fair amount of chart-work. ated! As thanks they give me some very nice cheese. $W,¶PEDFNDW*R*HQWO\,ZRUNRQ&KDUOH\ Except for the flies, this has been a pleasant day. But GRLQJDPDMRURSHUDWLRQ³6RUU\&KDUOH\,NQRZWKLV when the sun goes down it becomes quite cold and will hurt, but I have to open you up and check your breezy. I go to bed in a warm top and long pants. LQVLGHV´,WLVDELWVFDU\WRWDFNOHWKLVDOWKRXJK,KDYH a fair amount of instrument repair experience. I re- Aug. 5 dawns with bright sunshine and it soon warms place some wiring and apply some oil to the push-rod. up. Shortly after leaving at 7:30 Charley, my other- 7KDWZLOOKDYHWRGR$QGDWR¶FORFN,¶PLQEHG wise trusty Autopilot, is giving trouble. This is not the This has been a long but satisfying day! first time. I go over all the connections with a fine- tooth comb. In the meantime Tilly my tiller-tamer is When I get up at seven in the morning, I decide to holding us on course. I discover and fix a bad connec- start the day by taking it easy. The weather is cool but WLRQ&KDUOH\VD\V³7KDQN\RX´DQGGRHVKLVQRUPDO sunny. One thing I want to do is stop the kayak from good job again. bumping the boat and keeping me awake. So I make a sort of rig with lines to keep her at a short distance Go Gently is also doing very well: wing-on-wing 5 ½ from the hull of Go Gently: I think that should work. to 6 kn. Once out of Shawanaga Bay we are hitting 6+ kn. It turns into an A-1 sailing day! Next I take another look at the wiring and connections The sun shines bright and warm and the sky is pretty for the autohelm, improving some of it. Satisfied that with cumulus clouds. At times I wonder if my knot- all is now as good as I can hope to make it, I tell my- meter is accurate. This is a golden opportunity to self to put it out of my mind for the time being.

19 At 10:25 Go Gently is under sail and doing well. We SLW\RQPH,¶PFORVHUHDFKLQJDWDUHVSHFWDEOHNQ DUHGRLQJPRVWO\RYHUNQKLWWLQJDPD[,¶P KHDGLQJIRU7KH2ZO¶V1HVWRQWKHVRXWKVLGHRI5RVH Charley is behaving so well that I can go down below Island. In order to get there I have to thread my way to make myself a light lunch. When turning at Turning through a narrow buoyed channel with range markers. Island, I see ahead of me a fair number of dinghies Having done this several times in the past, I manage to racing. There are about 25 of them. They are coming sail it. Shortly after noon I climb the steps up to Doro- my way and just then make a 180. For the next little WK\¶VYHU\QLFHFRWWDJH6KHLVKDSS\WRVHHPH while I manage to keep up with them tacking into the wind. Not bad for Go Gently because they are fast La- We are having lunch together and she is telling me sers. that she is coping but having a hard time adjusting after losing her husband over a year ago. They had be- Too soon I am back in narrow waters and from here come good friends of Sia and me after buying a 27 ft to Point au Baril it is motoring. Looking at my chart Hunter that I had for sale. After a good talk and some for a good gunk hole I see what looks good to me: a tears, I paddle back to my boat for a nice snooze. small bay called Pike Bay. The chart indicates a marina, but I soon find out that it consists of mainly di- Dorothy had made some very tasty Chili and we enjoy lapidated buildings. After slowly threading my way in, a good supper together. She also gives me a nice I find that I have it all to myself except for a neat small house-coat and some shirts from Rudy. At 9:30 I am red float-plane at anchor. It looks like a home-built.

$WR¶FORFN,KDYHWKHKRRNGRZQLQWKLVFR]\KROH Now is a good time to improve the way to hold the kayak from knocking on Go Gently in the night. With some head scratching I come up with two designs. But WKHRQH,OLNHEHVWZLOOKDYHWRZDLWXQWLO,¶PKRPH DJDLQ,EURXJKWDOHQJWKRI[ZRRGIURPWKH2ZO¶V 1HVWIRUWKLVSXUSRVH$QGZLWKVRPH ´OLQHHWFWKH job is soon done and looks like it will work OK. /HW¶VFDOOWKLVDND\DNVXVSHQGHU

In the evening I kayak to the light-house. As I walk up to the door I see that I am too late for a tour by the Keeper. but I knock on the door anyway and am told ³VRUU\\RXDUHWRRODWH2K+HQNLWLV\RX&RPHLQ IRUDFXSRIFRIIHH´6KHLVWKHZLGRZRIWKHODVWOLJKW- house keeper. They lived here for quite a number of back on G G and in bed. That anti kayak bumping rig years with their children. These had to be taken to needs improving: the bumping woke me up a few school in Point au Baril Station, which was a seven times. mile ride! The light is now automated, but she lives here with her second husband and they look after the When I get up, I first make my usual oatmeal por- property and buildings, as well as giving tours. I have ULGJH$QGWKHQEDFNWR7KH2ZO¶V1HVWIRUEDFRQ-and been here a couple of times, once with Sia. I got to -HJJV:HVD\RXUDGLHXVDQGDWR¶FORFN,DPRQ know these good people quite well. my way. I have to motor into a light breeze. I am introduced to a gentleman who had been camping on one of the smaller islands. But a bear started to go When near Red Rock, Go Gently is still under motor for his food-pack and became quite dangerous. So he power. That sure is different from the previous days! I was invited to stay at the light-house for safety. decide to go the inland route to Shawanaga Inlet, hop- ing for a sailing breeze. Yes!! That Wind Imp takes When I get back to Go Gently it is late but I have to

20 have my supper yet! I enjoy the pleasant quiet eve- nel. ning. And a very quiet night thanks to the kayak suspender! +HUH,¶PDJDLQLQIDPLOLDUZDWHU*RLQJQRUWKIURP here brings me into some fast water with rapids. As $XJ,¶PXSHDUO\DQGRQP\ZD\DWR¶FORFN more water is coming down from the French River Since the plan is to make it to the Bad River, I have a WKDQLQRWKHU\HDUV,¶PKDYLQJDKDUGWLPHJRLQJXS long way to go: 35 NM. That guy up on his cloud lets against the current. But that will also mean more fun me down: no wind at all. So I motor at about 4 kn all running these on my way back! The last rapid gets you the way past Byng Inlet. Just before noon a breeze GLUHFWO\DERYHWKH'HYLO¶V'RRU%XWWKLVRQHLVWRR comes up and it is time to raise my ballooner sail. Go swift and would demand quite a lot of muscle power. I *HQWO\LVEDUHO\PDNLQJòNQEXWDWOHDVWLW¶VDVWDUW discover a very narrow slot channel along the east Sure enough: at 12:45 I hoist the main and am doing side. Here I manage to line my kayak up against the about 5 kn. Before long we are on a close reach at 6 strong current, using the painter to pull the kayak and kn. This is the way it should have been all day! scrambling over the rocky shore which is quite a job!! %XW,PDNHLW,DPQRZDERYH'HYLO¶V'RRUEXWVLQFH At 3:45 I drop the anchor in my favorite spot in front it is at least three ft. and running fast, I would not dare RIWKH'HYLO¶V'RRU6LQFH,KDGQROXQFK,HQMR\DQ to go down it. As a matter of fact, I have to watch out early supper out of cans. I discover that a loaf of bread so the kayak is not dragged too close by the current. I bought in Parry Sound has gone completely green. It That would mean a disaster! goes overboard. But the Irish stew sure tastes good. I top it off with a nice mug of coffee and cake. I manage to line my kayak up another rapid about two feet high. I remember being here with a friend a few 3DGGOLQJXSWR'HYLO¶V'RRULVDOZD\VIXQ7KHZDWHU years ago. Both of us ran this one several times, taking fall is quite high this year at about 3 Ft. When you get some pictures of each other. Boy, we had fun!! close to it and then turn around, you get a good shove Now it is high time to make my way back down. As in the stern and you have to watch that you stay up- the fast water is now my helper, my trip back is very right! Next I paddle east, going up a creek with some swift! neat rock formations etc. I go to the point where you would have to portage, but you can make it all the way I get to see some wildlife on the way back. First a to open water. Martin and then a couple of Otters. And would you believe it; here is mother duck with her eight little I find some nice big blueberries and also scare up ones paddling down this fast water in close formation! about ten Canada Geese; it is exciting to see them take I wonder if it is the same little family from yesterday. RIIIURPVRFORVHE\,¶PHQMR\LQJWKLVZRQGHUIXOHYH ning after a long day. When I am back aboard, a When I get back to Go Gently I discover that I had mother duck comes right up to the boat to show off scooped a couple of gallons of water! It was fun but her eight little ones. Of course she is begging some WLULQJ,SOD\HGDURXQGIRUKRXUV6KRUWO\DIWHU,¶P food. But I tell her that her ducklings are nice, but I ³EDFNKRPH´DIURQWUROOVLQIURPWKHZHVWEULQJLQJ have nothing to give them. dark clouds and rain. This is snooze time which is well deserved! Next morning I decide to stay put and enjoy a lay day. It is a bright and beautiful sunny morning. After a lei- I stay indoors for the rest of the day, doing some odd surely breakfast with bacon & eggs I take a plunge, little jobs and writing up my log. The new morning have a bath and shave. does not look at all friendly. It is dark and cool and a fair wind is coming right up the channel into the Bad I have always enjoyed the Bad River area for kayaking River. I am tempted to stay. But since I want to get DQGLWGRHVQRWWDNHORQJEHIRUH,¶PRQP\ZD\, back west, I leave at 8:40. Motoring up against a stiff check out some passages that I have never tried yet. wind, it takes me forty minutes to get out into open Some of these lead to a lodge to the west of the chan- water before turning west.

21 I now put two reefs in the main and furl the jib half walking the entry island to do some exploring. The way. I am doing 5.5 kn close hauled, so that is not too sun has come out and it is nice enough for the two of bad. What is bad is the restless water with some un- us to climb the beautiful red granite steep height pleasant wave action. Shortly after 11 am I turn north where we find a good crop of blueberries. at close to 6 kn and head into Beaverstone, now on a run but still reefed down. Go Gently loves it and be- ,QHHGDJRRGQLJKW¶VUHVWDIWHUWKLVYHU\EXV\GD\VR, fore 1 pm we enter Collins Inlet. Here the iron horse put the kayak on the suspender which works well. has to take over. I look for an anchorage in Mill Lake When I get up to the cockpit, I find more Canadian but the continuing wind rules this out. So I go on and wildlife. There are literally thousands of small co- find a good spot at Keyhole Island. Go Gently is on coons stuck to every inch of the boat! These are from a two anchors at 3:05. type of small mosquitoes: they swarm in the early morning when the weather is just the way they want it. The weather has improved considerably. After a It is surely not the way I want it because it is overcast snooze I go blueberry hunting. They are plentiful so I and feels like more rain is on the way. end up with a good container full. I paddle over to the WZRVDLOERDWVDWDQFKRU7KHILUVWRQHLV³'XQNHOW´ After my breakfast I start cleaning those pesky co- with a crew of six. While talking to the man aboard, coons off the boat, but that will have to be done in his mate sticks her head through the hatch. All she stages: what a job!! VD\VLV³+RZLV6LD"´DQGWKHQGXFNVGRZQDJDLQ, ILQGWKLVDELWRGGEHFDXVH,GRQ¶WUHPHPEHUPHHWLQJ Rainer and I do some walking on the island where I them or their boat. I think that she is looking after her show him one of my favorite erratics. It is a 3 to 4-ft. FRRNLQJ7KHRWKHUERDWLVDQ³(GHO´ " ZLWK diameter rock of black lava with stripes of quarts run- Roger & Deb aboard. They are from Port Elgin where ning through it. It looks quite imposing, lying on the WKH\UXQDVWRUHFDOOHG³)UDPHVE\'HE´7KH\IUDPH red granite shore. We also have a look at an iron ring paintings etc. Later I have them aboard for a cup of RIDERXW´GLDPHWHUHPEHGGHGLQWKHURFN2FFDVLRQ coffee. Too bad for them that they show up after I had ally you find one of these. They were placed here my yummy meal of pancakes with blueberries. I had about a hundred years ago. The lumber men used them six of them! But since I had missed having lunch, I to tie their log-booms to. We find a good many blue- can handle this. berries and eat the ones we pick.

In the morning I wake up to a cloudy sky and it is cold I go and have a chat with the nice folks who have just and windy; not very pleasant. I had planned to get to come in on their very well maintained Alberg 39. Covered Portage Cove, but when getting close to the This happens to be the second one I meet up with. exit of Collins Inlet I realize that it is way too rough They tell me that their boat is from 1967 and is looked between here and Killarney. So I duck into Thomas after with tender loving care. Well; it shows. She asks Bay to sit it out. This is a favorite gunk-hole for many me if I would like to have some Blueberry cake that of the T/S A ers. Here I am nicely sheltered from that she had baked. They have had enough, so I get a good nasty wind which is now at 30 mph. A sailboat named sized chunk to take with me. Yum yum! ³'D\GUHDPHU´FRPHVLQ,SDGGOHRYHUWRZHOFRPHWKH crew which consists of Rainer who is also single hand- At 1:15 I leave Thomas Bay for Little Current with the ing. So we visit each others boats comparing pros and wind on the nose. Luckily the waves are down and cons. He is in the process of rebuilding the whole even though it is motoring, it is not so bad. While on cabin; windows and all. the go, I have a meal of soup, fruit and a bagel. I have Once again I bring out my charts and indicate a num- found that those with cinnamon and raisins last quite ber of routes and anchorages as he is also new to this well and taste good. This 5+ hour run gives me some area. time to clean more of those messy cocoons off. Once past Heywood I calculate what my speed has to be in I make a good meal of rice (Zateran) and have Rainer RUGHUWRPDNHWKHR¶FORFNEULGJH,WZRUNVRXWDW over to share it with me. After this I go kayaking and about 3 1/2 kn. And thus I make it nicely in time!

22 Tying up at the public dock, I head for a phone and try Saturday Aug 14. This is my last day on the water. calling my daughter Linda in Florida: I have to leave a And I will miss the North Country until next summer. PHVVDJHWRREDG,W¶VWKHVDPHVWRU\ZKHQ,WU\FDOO For a sendoff it is a glorious morning although still ing my wife Sia. Oh well! Then I call my other daugh- cool. I wake up to a drum and a native song. Before ter Corene and have better luck! All is well. long it warms up and I do a little de-rigging. I notice a really big snapping turtle swimming near my boat, so I At 8:50 I am at anchor in the cove at Raus Islands. It decide to forget about swimming. was overcast most of the day, but the evening makes up for it with a beautiful sunset. I get on my way for Spanish and with Charley doing a good job of steering; I take the opportunity to do a lot Oops: in the morning I realize that is Friday 13. It is a of de-rigging. It is getting pleasant, warm and sunny. JRRGWKLQJWKDW,¶PQRWVXSHUVWLWLRXV$IWHUWKDWQLFH At 11:30 I enter the marina and before long Go Gently sunset of last evening the morning is supposed to be is on her trailer and ready for the rest of the de-rig. All nice. But that is not the case: it is cold and dark. I see goes well as usual. that it is raining to the west, but clear to the east. The wind is north, so take I go and have a chat with your pick. Gordon and Betty Lepley. I leave this good gunk- And I meet Dave Willems, a hole at 8:30 and a cou- T/S A member from Indi- ple of hours later turn ana. north and into the wind After some lunch I complete and bashing into the getting ready for the road. waves. Not very pleas- And just before three pm I DQW6XFKLVDVDLORU¶V am on my way. life; you take the good and the bad. It starts to Go Gently is just 12 miles drizzle and is unpleas- short of having done DQWO\FROG³,ZDQWWR 10$QG,¶YHEHHQRQ JRKRPH´ the water for a full month. Once again it has been a After Todd Point I get a great experience with the good sailing wind up to usual ups and downs. Noth- Fox Island where I drop the hook at 12:40. I am well ing major went wrong and mostly it was a plus time! I bundled up and warm. After a snooze it is time to do got to meet many nice folk and that counts for a lot! something with the blueberries. So I make myself a nice stack of blueberry pancakes. Also the trip home through Michigan goes well. And it is good to be home again with Sia, my dear wife for The weather has improved and even though still cold fifty years. ______and overcast, it is dry. So I go kayaking to get the stiffness out of my muscles. This is always a good :KLOH,¶PILQLVKLQJWKLVVWRU\WKHVQRZLVUHDOO\IO\ way to get some exercise. I go over and talk to a nice ing!! couple from Eliot Lake to the north of here. She is a native of Canada and it is nice to have a chat about some of the problems of the native population. But she is very cheerful.

6LQFHLWLVFROG,¶PQRZZHDULQJSUHWW\QHDUDOOWKH clothes that I have aboard!! When I go to bed I put in both hatch-boards. That does not happen too often!

23 FORGOTTEN VICTORIANS eral of these forgotten writers back to life. With the bonus that their out-of-print books can be downloaded ON THE NET for free.

By Laurence Wright Three authors in particular stand out: R.T. McMullen, For me, one of the great joys of sailing has always whose writing covers the period from 1850 to 1890, been that first moment when, perhaps after a lull or ().QLJKWZKREHJDQFUXLVLQJLQWKH¶VDQG)UDQ maybe after switching off the motor, the wind catches cis B. Cooke, who started sailing about 1890 (and was the sails and the bow wave starts to gurgle. Suddenly still sailing - and writing about it - in the 1960s). Their ,¶PSDUWLFLSDWLQJLQDQH[SHULHQFHWKDWGDWHVEDFN writings offer a glimpse into a world that in many thousands of years. ways is essentially unchanged, but in other ways has been completely transformed. While technologies 2IFRXUVH,¶PGRLQJLWMXVWIRUIXQZKHUHDVPRVWDQ have changed (Dacron, fiberglass, outboard motors, cient mariners were harnessing the wind for a more GPS.), we still feel the same challenges, fears and sat- serious purpose: military, commercial, transportation. LVIDFWLRQVDVWKH\GLG$QGZHFDQVWLOOUHDG.QLJKW¶V %XW,¶PVXUHLI\RXZHQWEDFNWRDQ\ZDWHU-side town Sailing, from 1889, and learn as much about seaman- in ancient Egypt or Greece, or any island in Polynesia, ship as we can from Sailing for Dummies there would have been some locals who were going out on the water in their free time just for the sheer 570F0XOOHQ¶VDown Channel, is the earliest ac- pleasure of it count of recreational cruising of which I know. The book was first published in1869 and an expanded edi- We know very little of the early recreational sailors. tion was released posthumously in 1893. It comprises We do know that there were jacht squadrons in Hol- a collection of writings that cover cruises he made ODQGLQWKHVDQGWKDWLQWKHILUVW³\DFKW from the time he bought his first boat at the age of FOXE´DSSHDUHG The Royal Cork Yacht Club in Ire- twenty in 1850 till his death in1891. The book is land). The Royal Yacht Squadron (originally called downloadable from www.archive.org,¶PQRWJRLQJ simply The Yacht Club) was founded in London in to give the full page address (way too complicated): 1815, then, among others, The Nova Scotia Yacht just search McMullen Down Channel. Squadron in 1837 and The New York Yacht Club in 1844. But these were racing clubs where wealthy men McMullen was a stock broker and from all accounts a owned large yachts which they raced with professional bit of an ornery character. He generally took off for crews, usually with large wagers riding on the out- three months each summer to go cruising, usually with come. We know nothing of cruising as we know it to- one or two paid crew (labor was cheap in those days), day (lower-income sailors in small boats) until the mid though occasionally, especially towards the end of his -19th century. We know of it then because the advent life, he single-handed. Sometimes his wife, and at of mass education gave ordinary people the chance to other times friends, would accompany him, but he write about pottering around in small boats (and en- mentions very little, if anything, of them. He concerns sured that there were enough readers to make publica- himself solely with sailing his boat. The following ex- tion profitable cerpt gives a good indication of his personality:

Writers like Slocum (Sailing Alone Around the ,WPD\EHREMHFWHGWKDWWKHUHLVWRRPXFK³VDOW´DQG World, first published in1900), Voss (The Venture- WRROLWWOH³VSLFH´IRUSOHDVDQWUHDGLQJZKLFKSHU some Voyages of Captain Voss, 1913) and Plummer KDSVLVWUXHDVWKHERRNLVQRWLQWHQGHG«WRIRUPDQ (The Boy, Me and the Cat, 1914) are, relatively, well- addition to the numerous accounts of domestic life on known in North America. But on the other side of the board a small yacht, which have already been pub- Atlantic, there was an explosion of sailing literature lished, but is little more than a bare record of sailing. during the Victorian period and in the years up to the For this reason Mrs. McMullen and other visitors, First World War that has largely faded from view. who never added strength to the crew, though they However the miracle of the internet has brought sev- were occasionally on board in very trying times, are

24 not mentioned in the book. If they had the opportunity McMullen bought his first boat in 1850. It measured of speaking for themselves, without doubt they could 18 feet LOA with a beam of 6 feet three inches. In his supply a few reminiscences of a strictly personal na- first seven years of cruising in the Thames estuary and ture in reference to the gale of Aug. 22nd, 1868, on the along the South Coast he covered almost seven thou- Devonshire coast, and of more than one severe brush VDQGVHDPLOHV,QZLWKDVKLS¶VER\IRUKHOSKH off the coast of Ireland. But, battened down below, OHIW/RQGRQLQHDUO\-XQHWRFUXLVHWR/DQG¶V(QGWKH striving to maintain one's position in the berth by western-most part of England: a jagged headland that clinging to the leeboard or clutching at the shelf over- juts out into the Atlantic breakers that have travelled head, where little can be heard but the shouting and several thousand miles from North America. After WUDPSOLQJRQGHFNWKHIODSSLQJRIWKHFDQYDV³LQ spending five weeks gunk-holing around the coves VWD\V´WKHVHDUXVKLQJDORQJWKHGHFNDQGRYHUWKH and estuaries of southwest Cornwall, he starts for skylights, accompanied by the ceaseless roar of the home. On August 11th the wind drops after having wind, affords very little opportunity for making obser- EHHQ³IUHVK´IRUVHYHUDOGD\VDQGDODUJHUHVLGXDOVHD YDWLRQVRIJHQHUDOLQWHUHVW« has built. He has yet to pass the Lizard Point with its notorious tidal race: (I must admit my curiosity is piqued by the reference WR³WKHQXPHURXVDFFRXQWVRIGRPHVWLFOLIHDERDUGD Aug. 11th, ² Sailed from Penzance 11 a.m., and VPDOO\DFKWZKLFKKDYHDOUHDG\EHHQSXEOLVKHG´ turned against light baffling winds to the Lizard Sadly these accounts seem to have disappeared with- which, with the swell rolling the wind out of the sails, out a trace.) delayed us so much that it was sunset when we got into the Race off the Point. As there was not wind Down Channel is really little more than an edited enough to give steerage way in so great a commotion, transcription of the logs of the journeys that McMullen we had to get oars out to keep before the sea, which made, interspersed with some insightful, if sometimes invaded the deck several times and tumbled and opinionated, observations. (McMullen calls his writing roared, so that I feared we were amongst the rocks. ³DORJDQGGLDU\composite´ The tide being nearly spent it was pretty certain that we should be driven back through the Race in the dark In his Introduction to the 1931 edition of Down Chan- unless an anchorage could be found...The prospect nel, Arthur Ransome says McMullen is important be- was anything but cheering, when, chancing to see a FDXVH« cutter helplessly plunging and rolling about half a mile off, we pulled towards her and asked the men to He expected from himself all that he would have ex- direct us to an anchorage. It was delightful to hear SHFWHGIURPDSURIHVVLRQDOVHDPDQ«,QKLVZULWLQJV that they were going in shore to bring up, and that we for the first time, yachting ceased to be a sort of social had only to keep company. Having got out their long ceremony dependent largely on the presence of specta- oars we rowed in, side by side at the distance of one tors, but an affair between man and nature... sea apart, now in full view of each other, and now out of sight, with a sea between, when only the masts were McMullen explains further in his Preface: visible. A conversation carried on under such circumstances was, necessarily, of a desultory nature, and

25 the east and west coasts of Scotland, across the Chan- thing as a hill in Holland. nel to France, and finally a circumnavigation of Great "But where is it?" I asked, looking round the intermi- Britain and Ireland. He was still sailing regularly nable plain, "I can see no hill." when, at age 61, his boat was found by some French "It is just over there; but you cannot see it, for it is fishermen in the Channel with its sails still set and hidden by that bush." 0F0XOOHQ¶VIDFHORRNLQJWRZDUGVWKHVN\7KHGRFWRU VDLGKH¶GEHHQGHDGIRUKRXUVZKHQWKHERG\ZDV Knight was one of those almost mythical Victorian IRXQGDQGWKDWWKHFDXVHRIGHDWKZDV³IDLOXUHRIWKH gentlemen-adventurers, too many of whom have faded KHDUW¶VDFWLRQ´ from history, who were the real-life prototypes of the heroes of the %R\¶V2ZQstories that I grew up read- McMullen is not an author to read for style and enter- ing. tainment: his writing would definitely have benefited IURPDWRXFKRIWKH³VSLFH´WRZKLFKKHDOPRVWFRQ Arthur Ransome wrote a wonderful biographical intro- temptuously refers above. The same cannot be said duction to The Cruise of the Alerte, .QLJKW¶V about E.F. Knight. While McMullen had no literary account of a hunt for a lost treasure on a desert island. flair, Knight was an excellent writer, with a fine sense Ransome explains that Knight was born in England, of humour: but his family moved back and forth to France several times. As a teenager all his spare time was spent in We hoisted the useless sails, weighed anchor, and al- walking: lowed the yacht to drift slowly out to sea with the ebb, while we gave her steerage-way occasionally with the «Travelling light, sleeping most nights in the open, sweeps, so as to avoid fouling buoys and anchored he walked through Normandy and Brittany. along vessels. We were not alone, for the weather-bound the banks of Loire, Rhone and Garonne, through barges also got under weigh, so too did a great num- Burgundy, Savoy, Dauphine, Auvergne and ber of fishing-boats, and we all floated lazily out of the Provence, through Piedmont and Lombardy, cross- estuary together. We saw a large fleet of yachts at an- ing and recrossing the Alps through little known chor off Southend pier, for the first important race of passes and more than once losing himself in the the year was to be sailed ² or drifted²this day..... VQRZV« His last walking tour before going to Cam- The sun rose higher and the heat became tropical: bridge cost him fifteen pounds. On that small sum he then a very feeble north-east wind sprang up and en- took train to Lyons, walked to Marseilles, took a deck abled us to tack slowly past the Nore. Near here we passage to Algiers, walked to the edge of the desert, saw rising from the water the masts of a large vessel made friends with a mixed lot of French soldiers, with- that had been run into and sunk a few days before. out officers, marched with them two hundred and fifty Around her hovered a crowd of fishing-boats and miles south to the last French post on the caravan other small craft, whose crews were busy stripping the route to Timbuktoo, went off alone through the Kha- vessel's rigging. The scene reminded one of a pack of byle country, had his first of several experiences of jackals gathering round a dead lion ² not that I have being arrested as a spy, and made his way back to ever seen this, by the way. Then the wind dropped al- Honfleur, where, blackened by the sun, half-starved together, and as often happens in a calm, all our fleet and in rags, he thought it better to reach his father's collected into a knot, drawn together by mutual attrac- house at night, sleep in the garden and come in with tion, like a flock of magnetic ducks in a washhand ba- the milk in the morning so as to spruce himself before sin ² this I have seen, so the simile is legitimate. PHHWLQJKLVIDPLO\DWEUHDNIDVW«

Or, when transiting Holland via the canals: After his father's death, he came, when he was twenty- one, into a small private income, and he was still at "There is a fine hill in the Plantaage," said my com- Cambridge when he bought his first yacht, the Ripple, panion, "and from the summit of it you will be able to a 5-ton yawl. Sailing for the most part alone, he ex- see the country for a great distance around." plored the Channel and the West Coast of France, It interested me greatly to hear that there was such a learned navigation as well as seamanship and was

26 UHDG\IRUORQJHUYR\DJHV«+HZDVWZHQW\-eight when, aded, he persuaded a friendly ship's captain to put him after a fish dinner at Greenwich, he and a friend afloat in a dinghy some miles off the Cuban coast. The watching the busy traffic on the river suddenly made dinghy soon capsized, but, as Knight said, she was an up their minds that they were tired of town and would excellent sea-boat when full of water. He was able to buy a small vessel and put to sea. They bought the rest in her, between capsizes, all night, and in the Falcon, a 28-ton yawl, collected two volunteers morning, with a favouring wind, he was able to bring (briefless barristers like Knight himself) and a cabin her bows up by sitting under water in her stern, to boy, sailed from Southampton for South America in paddle with the only oar he had and to get ashore, los- August 1880, and were away for nearly two years. The ing everything he had with him, and being at once ar- result was The Cruise of the Falcon, an account of UHVWHGDQGLPSULVRQHGDVDSUREDEOHVS\«,QWKH6RXWK their ocean voyaging, their five months' cruise up the African war he represented the Morning Post, and lost rivers Parana and Paraguay and their long ride over KLVULJKWDUPDWWKHEDWWOHRI%HOPRQW«+LVSDVVLRQIRU the Pampas. The book found readers at once, and boats never left him. He wrote two practical hand- Knight thenceforward had no difficulties in selling books on the subject, and in Small Boat Sailing he DQ\WKLQJKHZURWH« tells of a cruise in Florida in a flat-bottomed punt, a voyage down the Nile in a gayassa and a voyage in an In addition to The Cruise of the Falcon and The Arab dhow from Suakin to Massowah. That book also Cruise of the Alerte, Knight wrote the first how-to- tells how even the loss of his right arm did not put an sail book that I know of, Sailing (1889), and The Fal- end to his sailing. It describes, for the benefit of other con on the Baltic, (1887) an account of a trip in a one-armed men, the ingenious devices whereby he converted lifeboat (his second boat named Falcon) made his second Ripple, a Bembridge lug-boat, into a through the Dutch canals and the Frisian Islands into vessel that he could sail, in the most exact sense of the the Baltic. In 1890, he persuaded the The Times to word, single-handed. Nor did the loss of his arm pre- commission him as a correspondent and he set off for vent him from seeing what he could of the Russo- India to cover the building of the Gilgit road. Japanese war, when he was with General Kuroki in 0DQFKXULD«+HGLHGRQ-XO\ As always, he took every chance that offered, was not content to see Kashmir, but accompanied Captain .QLJKW¶VERRNVDUHDILQHVRXUFHRILQIRUPDWLRQDQG Bower to the frontiers of Tibet, crossed and recrossed advice. I wish that I had read the following before at- the Himalayas, took an active part in the Hunza- tempting to run into Nassau towing my Port-a-Bote a Nagar War, being twice mentioned in despatches, and few years ago before a 25 knot wind (though I doubt came back to England a year later with the material ,¶GKDYHXVHGLURQ for his book Where Three Empires Meet. From that time on he never missed a war if he could help it. On Our dinghy was eleven feet long; we had no room for his return from the Himalayas he became one of it on deck, so we always towed it astern. It followed us Henley's young men on the staff of the National Ob- thus all the way to Copenhagen, and no accident befell server, but was soon away to Matabeleland for The it... We were in the habit of putting a half- Times. He brought back material for a book about hundredweight of iron into her stern, to steady her South Africa, where he had seen much of Cecil and when the weather was rough, with the result that she Frank Rhodes and Dr. Jameson, but the book was followed us as quietly as possible, not sheering wildly never finished, for he was off again to Madagascar to about and rushing furiously down upon us as is the see the French war from the Malagasy side, as the wont of dinghies under such circumstances. )UHQFKZRXOGDOORZQRFRUUHVSRQGHQWV«+HFDPH home from the Turko-Greek war of 1897 in time to $OOIRXURI.QLJKW¶VERRNVWKDW,¶YHPHQWLRQHGDUH take part in an experimental balloon trip, was in the available for free download at allthingsransome.net. Sudan again in the same year and missed being pre- Just go to Literary Pages and scroll down to Sources sent at the fall of Omdurman in Kitchener's third cam- paign only because, in the Spanish-American war, The I used to think that in the old days, when there were no Times sent him to Cuba. To reach Cuba, then block- motors to fall back on if the wind dropped, that people

27 were born knowing how to sail. The truth is they also wrote several books of yachting adventures. In ZHUHQ¶W$OOWKHVHERRNVDUHIXOORIPLVWDNHVWKHDX Tidal Waters(1919), which is also downloadable thors made, especially in their first attempts at master- from the same two websites, is very much a precursor LQJDERDW+HUH¶V)UDQFLV%&RRNHZULWLQJLQSingle- WR0DXULFH*ULIILWKV¶IDPRXVThe Magic of the Handed Sailing about an early experience on a seven Swatchways &RRNH¶VVHOI-deprecating sense ton yacht (I suspect around 30 ft LOA) with a very of humor is very much evident in all his writings. He long boom that overhung the stern: died in 1974, aged 102.

When I bought her she was rigged as a sloop with a Of course, none of the above-mentioned writers have mainboom 27 feet in length and a foresail of, so far as anything to do with trailer-sailing. But there was one I remember, something like 180 square feet. I suppose Victorian who could be considered to be the move- I can describe myself as a man of average physique, PHQW¶VVSLULWXDOIRXQGHULQVRIDUDVKHWUDQVSRUWHGD being rather more than twelve stone in weight (182 small sailing boat to far-away places. Rather appropri- pounds), and I must confess that Seabird under her ately his name was John MacGregor and he invented sloop rig made me very tired indeed in strong winds. WKH5RE5R\VDLOLQJFDQRH,¶OODJDLQERUURZIURP$U To make matters worse she was a sharp-sterned boat thur Ransome: and the boom-end 6 feet outboard. I sailed her in that We have forgotten now how large a part MacGregor trim for some time, but an experience I had one day DQGKLVERRNV«SOD\HGLQWKHVXGGHQJURZWKRILQWHUHVW when caught in a breeze convinced me that a little cur- in small-boat cruises as distinguished from mere rac- tailment of the sail area was desirable. I got caught ing. The Rob Roy, that frail contraption that allows a out in the Wallet in some dirty weather that necessi- man to propel himself as a water spider or sail himself tated reefing, and soon found that what was difficult in as a nautilus, set many young Englishmen exploring the river was next door to impossible in a seaway. the rivers of the Continent. There was a certain liveliness about Seabird in rough water that rendered it far from easy to maintain one's Interestingly, before he bought his first proper sail foothold on deck. Indeed, she kicked up her heels like boat, E.F. Knight saw MacGregor give a talk in Cam- a colt in a paddock, and it was perhaps somewhat im- bridge and took a Rob Roy with him when he returned prudent to stand on the rudder-head whilst vainly en- to France for his vacations and travelled most of that deavouring to tie the last few reef-points. Anyhow, I FRXQWU\¶VPDMRUULYHUV0DF*UHJRU¶VERRNVDUHZULWWHQ suddenly found myself hanging on to the boom-end in the same breezy and humorous style as Knight and with my feet alternately dangling in space and diving Cooke His most famous book, A Thousand Miles in under water, what time the boat did her best to shake the Rob Roy Canoe is downloadable from me off. Neither by training nor inclination am I a gym- www.ibiblio.org. nast, and I shall never forget the horrible scramble I had to get back on board. The Rob Roy Canoe was built of oak, with a deck of Cooke is very little known these days, despite the fact cedar. She was made just short enough to go into the that he was still writing for Yachting Monthly in the German railway waggons; that is to say, fifteen feet in 1960s when he was more than 90 years old. He was length, twenty-eight inches broad, nine inches wide, born in London in 1872. His first book seems to have and weighed eighty pounds. My baggage for three been published in the 1890s and his last, Yachting months was in a black bag one foot square and six with Economy, in 1960.Most of his books are instruc- inches deep. A paddle seven feet long, with a blade at tional, and often the same information and drawings each end, and a lug sail and jib, were the means of are repeated almost paragraph by paragraph in differ- propulsion; and a pretty blue silk Union Jack was the ent titles. Some of these books were in print for a very RQO\RUQDPHQW« long time. Cruising Hints first came out in 1904, and a sixth edition came out in 1948. The 1919 edition of My clothes for this tour consisted of a complete suit of Single-Handed Sailing is downloadable from grey flannel for use in the boat, and another suit of www.archive.com or www.kobobooks.com. Cooke light but ordinary dress for shore work and Sundays.

28 The "Norfolk jacket" is a loose frock-coat, like a blouse, with shoulder-straps, and belted at the waist, North Channel and garnished by six pockets. With this excellent new- fashioned coat, a something in each of its pockets, and a Cambridge straw hat, canvas wading shoes, blue Cruise 2011 spectacles, a waterproof overcoat, and my spare jib for a sun shawl, there was sure to be a full day's en- a.k.a. joyment defiance of rain or sun, deeps or shallows, hunger or ennui. Go Where the

I could easily see myself sailing Better Than Work- ing in the North Channel, dressed in Norfolk jacket Wind Takes You and straw hat. Launch: Spanish Municipal Marina As the observant reader will have noticed ± if indeed anyone has got this far ± ,¶PDJUHDWIDQRI$UWKXU Dates: Ransome. If there is anyone reading this who does not July 16² arrive, pot luck dinner at the NQRZRI5DQVRPHWKHQ,¶OOMXVWVD\WKDWKHLVSUREDEO\ marina the most widely-read, and widely-loved, sailing author. There are Arthur Ransome societies in the U.K. July 17² skippers meeting in the (with branches in North America and Australasia) and morning, and launch -DSDQ+H¶VPRVWIDPRXVIRUWKHSwallows and Ama- July 23² (estimated) Dinner in zon series (of which :H'LGQ¶W0HDQWRJRWR6HDis usually regarded as the best), but he also wrote some Little Current fine accounts of voyages, such as 5DFXQGUD¶V)LUVW July 31² Haul out till next year Cruise. The site allthingsransome.com is invaluable not just as a source for the texts of the four books by Knight, but also as a treasure-trove of background in- The rest will be organized as we go and formation on Ransome. It also contains a link to what dependant on wind and weather. is regarded by many as the finest work of adult sailing Meetings will be held in the evening, ILFWLRQ(UVNLQH&KLOGHU¶VThe Riddle of The Sands. with an evening net to follow to communicate the plans to the whole fleet. Other adventures will be planned over the course of the cruise. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

To register email [email protected] Please include name of captain and crew, name and type of boat.

Looking forward to seeing as many people there as possible.

29 Original T/SA Hats and Flags available

For those members who are new, or perhaps have forgotten the history of our T/SA flag, here is the tale of its origin.

The design for the T/SA flag was chosen from a field of eighty-six colored sketches, all drawn by our founder, Bob Hodgson. A designer by trade in the automotive industry this was an area at which he excelled. For viewing purposes and to help formulate a decision they were taped all over the laundry room of their home. Of this ar- rangement Bob remarked; ³«LWORRNHGOLNHDODXQGU\UHJDWWD'LIIHULQJIURPUHJXODUFOXEEXUJHHV ours is a rectangular flag, not one of those pointy things on which graphics ORRNVRZUHWFKHGO\XQFRPIRUWDEOH´ In the summer of 1986 Bob announced, ³,WKRXJKWZHKDGDVXLWDEOHGHVLJQIRUWKHIODJDQGZLWKXQZDUUDQWHGFRQILGHQFHDQGLPSHWXRVLW\,DQ nounced that flags would soon to be imminent ± I showed it to several people and they were completely under-whelmed! So back to the drawing board and many more designs were investigated. At last one was produced that was liked by all who saw it ± and those who did see it included some skillful and frankly out spoken designers. (Believe me ± this sort of acceptance constitutes a minor miracle in de- VLJQHUV¶H[SHULHQFH ´ Hence, the first T/SA flags debuted and were offered for sale in the summer of 1986, for $11.50US. No changes have ever been made to the flag design, nor have any ever been suggested. Today there are hundreds, maybe a thousand or more, T/SA flags flying all around North America. Some have even reputedly been known to show up overseas carried by members as they charter around the world.

Today the only change to our flag is that it is silk screened instead of sewing individual pieces together. The price is $16.50 US, postage and handling included. Contact me and I will send you one. Hats are also available for the same price.

This summer I will be going to Kentucky Lake and then on to the North Channel. I will carry an ample supply of hats and flags. Hail me and I will bring you one.

See you on the water, David Craigie Incipi- [email protected]

For Sale²MacGregor 26X, 1996 Excellent Condition, 50 HP engine with power tilt. 12 factory options and 30 custom additions for sailing, trailering and living aboard. A better design than a new Mac 26M at half the price equally equipped. $16,900. Kansas City. Contact Ed Gabriel at 816-228-1010

30 For Sale For Sale²"Jessie B." 1989 Precision 23 ± Windsong Bayfield 29, 1983, Cutter-rigged with trailer (Holland, New mainsail, roller-furled Yankee and jib Michigan) Auto helm, radio, GPS Genoa Nice galley and The Precision 23 is a storage, generous storage overall. well-thought out, me- Newly checked out and sailed every year in N. ticulously detailed, Channel and carefully con- structed trailerable cruiser whose interior & lively performance will give you and your family one of the best sailing boats available in this size range. This boat is in good condition and is well-fitted out. It has been used for daysails and extended sailing trips and belonged to Randy Berens, a long-time trailer sailor member.

Draft: 2 feet with centerboard up, 5 ft 4 in with centerboard down

Sails include: main sail with two sets of reef For Sale²SAN JUAN 26 points and cover, roller-furling genoa, and a Swing keel, shoal draft 2.6 ft. cruising spinnaker. Newer Honda 4 stroke 9.9 extra long shaft, cockpit controls. CDI roller furling, 170%, 130%, storm & Main. New anti fouling trailer & bottom paint. Interior accommodations: berths for up to four, table, stainless steel sink, ice chest, double- VHF, knot meter and compass. Tandem highway burner alcohol stove, portable head with trailer with surge brakes. Stand up head room, new SXPSRXWDELOLW\DPSOHVWRUDJHURRP« floor carpeting. Sleeps 4-6. Other accessories included: Price $10,500 ± 6 HP Yamaha long shaft motor Aluminum trailer with brand-new tires Contact: Depth Sounder 905-625-0643 or cell VHF Radio 416 571-3757 Bulkhead mounted compass Docking lines, fenders Tiller extension Danforth anchor with rode $QGPRUH«

Asking $4,250 Contact Dwight Berens at 616-540-7646 or [email protected]

31 Trailer/Sailors Association The Trailer/Sailors Association is a non-profit organization formed more than 20 years ago. Its members provide a exchange of ideas and information about all aspects of sailing trailerable sailboats. Our more than 300 members are scattered across the USA and Canada, and the diversity of their experiences enrich the association and heightens our collective interest in small sailboat cruising. Clipper Snips, published the Winter, Spring, and Fall, is the official publication of the organization, providing cruising articles, association announcements, how-to articles, and free classified ads.

Association Officers:

President: Mike Nelson, (937)-767-9487 [email protected] Webmaster: Contact him about T/SA official business. Chris Holderness, (519)-741-0199, Launch Ramp Advisor: [email protected] John Ulmer, (330)-854-3796, [email protected] Contact him about web site issues. Contact him for ramp info. Membership Secretary : Clipper Snips Editor: Rick Haynie, (260-447-2323) [email protected] Kathy Blackwood, (705)-748-0359, [email protected] Contact him about your personal directory information. Contact her about article submissions. Assistant Membership Secretaries: Clipper Snips Publisher: Carolyn and Mike Richards, (810) 227-8336 Gregg MacMillan, (800)-771-3171, [email protected] [email protected] TrailSail List Manager: New Member Secretary: Mike Nelson , moderator, (937)-767-9487, mnel- Mike Forbes, (317)-872-0232 [email protected] [email protected] Contact him about new memberships. Contact him to join the list. Treasurer : Public Relations: Howard Staley, (513)-933-8114, [email protected] Gary Schafer, (248)-649-4911, [email protected] Contact him about your dues. Contact him for PR.

Trailer/Sailors Association Dated Material Please Deliver Promptly PRSRT STD Clipper Snips Publisher U.S. Postage 2717 North River Road PAID Yellow Springs, OH Permit # 375 45387 Dayton, OH

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