Finally on vacation.
After a wet and cool spring and early summer, weather changed for the better.
Sailed a bit on Lake Ontario and stayed mostly around Toronto.
This year, we kayaked almost as much as we sailed.
by Bruce Landsberg
S/V Southern Comfort #1881
Deale, MD
Thankfully, we weren’t aboard Southern Comfort, our 2000 Catalina 36, when she was hit by lightning at the end of August 2009. According to slip mates, a series of heavy thunderstorms rolled across the western shore of Chesapeake Bay and the resulting sparks made it look like a welder’s convention.
Boat sailing well at 7.4kts with reefed main and jib.
Greig Williams
S/V Sailing Still, a 1990 Catalina 36
Gibsons Harbour, Howe Sound, Gulf Islands,
British Columbia, Canada
"Still sailing after all these years"
As an interesting situation developed on a recent Columbia River trip to Astoria on High Flight. Thinking ahead, I grabbed my camcorder, then uploaded the video to YouTube. A fishing boat was anchored at the channel's edge in the Columbia River, with a tanker coming his way. The 'mighty Columbia River' is a superb salmon and steelhead fishery. But the river is dredged to 40+ feet from its mouth to Portland, about 100 miles, so there is continual heavy ship traffic. Sometimes it gets a little hairy.
We had been powerboating for more than 15 years and in 2008 decided try sailing. Fuel and maintenance on an old boat were part of the “why” we made the jump.
Sailors occasionally ask questions about the seagoing capability of the Catalina 36. We all realize that the C36 was designed to be an outstanding coastal cruising boat, and that it has achieved that status with renown; there's no debate about that. But in the hands of a capable skipper exercising good judgement and top notch seamanship, the Catalina 36 has proven itself on long ocean passages, as well. In fact, C36IA Member Craig Mortensen, owner and skipper of the S/V Patriot, a Catalina 36 Mk I based in Portland, Oregon, has been inducted into the Catalina Yachts Offshore Cruising Hall of Fame for his circumnavigation.
These predicaments I get myself into is what my wife calls ass moments (Another Scott Situation). I rebuilt our Universal M30, took it for a few test runs, and felt it was ready for a short trip to Chandelier Islands, about a 60 mile trip from our marina.
