TRADEWINDS SAILING CLUB INC.
March 2005
www.TradewindsSailing.com
Windwords
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Email Brandy at: [email protected]
MARCH FEVER
From the Helm
I’ve got spring fever so bad... or maybe it’s sailing fever. The rain and cloudy days have put a
damper on my spirits. All I want to do is get out and go sailing and get this season started. I have been
hearing from all of you that you feel the same way. I guess we are all in the same boat. So I declare March
Sailing Month - lets take care of that itch!
I have decided to launch this Sailing season with our annual BBQ. It will be held at Miller-Knox park,
(Brickyard Cove, just after the tunnel). The date of the event is March 19th, 11am to 1pm. We will be providing Hamburgers & Hot dogs. The rest will be pot luck, so bring a favorite dish and spend a little time
meeting fellow Tradewinds members - and if there’s still time go sailing after the BBQ. If it rains it will
be canceled.
We are getting great feedback on the Review Class. We have scheduled a couple more for this month, so
call the office to sign up - they are filling up fast. It is a nice way to get the spring kinks worked out. I see
many of you are finishing the Coastal Navigation class. If you are preparing for the Advanced Coastal
Cruising class sign up now. We only have 12 spots this year.
We have only 2 spots left for the La Paz trip. Call and sign up today. We still have some spots for the Tahiti trip in September as well.
We had our first Friday Night Sail to South Harbor for dinner, see Kelli’s article on it. We have some exciting news, we are looking into some Half Moon Bay weekend trips, also some Farallons day trips. Call
in and get on the “wish to go” list!
There is a new boat in the 29 fleet. It is a Catalina 27. She is pretty to look at and she glides through the
water like a swan. You are going to love this one - sign up for the checkouts on this boat.
I need to go and get some sailing in. Maybe Lynn ,my fiancé, needs some more practice this week. I think
I will give her a call and take care of my sailing fever (more for me than her). See you on the water with
those great big smiles!
Scheduled Review Classes
We have scheduled 2 dates for each review for the month of March. We will schedule some more in April and
May. Please take a look at the dates and call and sign up for them. A review class is for all of us to brush up
on our skills. This is a way for you to get the most out of Tradewinds classes and membership. It will give you
extra time with an instructor to sharpen and review your skills on the water. Take advantage of this to reach a
new level of comfort and the fun of sailing will become second nature to you. Some will be comfortable after
one review class and some of us may need more to reach an acceptable comfort level with our own sailing
skills.
March 13th or April 2nd
Basic Keel Boat Review Class
1 Day
$95
Knots, motor skills, docking skills, reefing, tacking, jibing, heave to, crew overboard,
navigation rules.
March 13th or April 3rd
Basic Coastal Cruising Review Class 1 Day
$95
Systems of the boat, motor skills, docking skills, anchoring skills, sailing skills, reefing,
tacking, point of sail, person overboard, knots.
March 13th or April 2nd
Bareboat Chartering Review Class
1 Day
$95
Boat systems management, motor skills, mooring skills, docking skills, anchor skills,
navigation skills, captain overboard (figure 8, quick stop), compass course, Sailing
skills, crew management.
Coastal Navigation Class April 2nd & 3rd
We have scheduled a Coastal Navigation Class for April 2nd & 3rd. This will be the last class until September. Taught by Craig Walker, this is all classroom learning in our office, and is required before you can take
Advanced Coastal Cruising (ACC) and sail out the Gate. Although the home study course is still an option for
you, the success rate is pretty low for that, as some of the plotting and charting can be confusing, especially
when taking the test. The instructor-led course, where you take the test on Sunday, when everything is fresh in
your mind, has an outstanding success rate because there is an expert on hand to explain everything and answer all of your questions on the spot. Don’t miss this opportunity to get your certification and improve your
skills and confidence on the water. Call to sign up today!
Specialty Classes Schedule
We’ve had a lot of interest in some different kinds of classes, so we’re putting together some new offerings.
How about: “Advanced Anchoring”; “Becoming Competent Crew”; and “Advanced Motoring & Docking”.
Here is the schedule for the classes.
March 12th or March 13th—Advanced Motoring/Docking
March 19th, 20th, & 26th—Competent Crew
April 2nd or April 3rd—Advanced Anchoring
Sail Trim Class
You have asked for this class and you shall receive it. We have scheduled the first class for April 9th. This
class will be instructed by QSDG at their facility from 10AM to 2PM. Please call the office to sign up. The
cost of this class is $75.00 and includes lunch.
Men’s & Lady’s Tuesday Sailing
The first day for Men’s and Lady’s sail is March 8th. Please call the office to sign up. Remember men will be
on one boat and women on the other. Lets go have a nice lunch and a great sail. See you on the docks!
Scheduled Checkouts
We have scheduled a lot of checkouts for the Month of March. Take this time to get a look at more boats.
Please take a look at the Calendar on the Web page for the checkouts.
Mar 15th, 5:30 PM: Windfall (Catalina 27)
Mar 16th, 5:30 PM: Summer (Cal 27)
Mar 29th, 5:30 PM: Windfall (Catalina 27)
Mar 30th, 5:30 PM: Galen (Beneteau 42CC)
Mar 19th, 9AM: Kallisto (Dufour 310
Mar 19th, Noon: Clio (Cal 31)
Mar 19th, 2PM: Asilo (Catalina 30)
Apr 2nd, 9AM: Spindrift (Islander 36)
Apr 2nd, Noon: Black Pearl (Catalina 38)
Apr 2nd, 2PM: Ciao Bella (Beneteau 423)
Mar 22nd, 5:30 PM: Sea Breeze (Catalina 30)
Mar 23rd, 5:30 PM: Amazing Grace (Newport 30)
Friday Night Maiden Voyage
The first sunset in three days, a star studded night sky, light from the full moon dancing over the glassy water,
great food, and good friends. That pretty much sums up the first Tradewinds Night Sail of 2005.
Eight Tradewinds members and guests boarded two Beneteau center cockpits for a delightful kick-off to the
2005 sailing year. Butch Florey, Lynn Hulme, and Rob and Elaine Drew crewed Galen, and Kelli Gant, Mike
McHugh, Veronica Ravago, and Tom Ventura crewed Water Wing. We left Point Richmond at 5:15 pm and
had an easy one hour sail… motor sail… ok, so we motored to South Beach Harbor. After days of gray skies
and 10 to 12 knot winds, we were all expecting a chilly sail across the bay, but we saw a maximum of 7 knots
and decided that we had all brought too many layers of clothing.
As we passed San Francisco, we couldn’t help but comment about how beautiful The City is at night with all of
the lights along the Embarcadero, the high rises and the Bay Bridge. We tied up at South Harbors’ guest dock
and walked to MoMo’s restaurant, across from SBC Park, for a delicious dinner. As we walked into the restaurant the hostess said, “Welcome, you sailed in?” Gee, I wonder if the foul weather jackets gave us away? Dinner was leisurely and we had a chance to catch up on news and meet new friends.
At 8:30 pm we headed back to the docks and home. Much to our delight, the clouds had disappeared and we
were greeted by a full moon and a sky full of stars. Any remaining wind had also vanished. We motored back
to Point Richmond over perfectly glassy water-ski-able water. None of us can ever remember being in The Slot
without a single wind ripple. It was truly an amazing trip home.
Well, we didn’t get in any sailing, but all the other ingredients were there to make the first Night Sail an evening that we will all remember. Plan on joining us on March 18 for the next Night Sail.
PFD’s In Stock !
We are continuing to stock inflatable PFD’s in our office. These are the good ones, with built-in harness clips,
auto-inflate, manual inflate, and back-up CO2 cartridge. You can buy them at West Marine for $239.99 +tax,
or you can get them from us at our cost, which is just $166.28 +tax. It’s a great deal!
La Paz/Sea of Cortez
May 25th – June 1st, 2005
Call to reserve your spot today!
Sail through the desert. The stunning contrast of calm blue water against the arid
backdrop of the Baja Peninsula seems surreal at first. Effortlessly you sail past impossibly rugged terrain. Thick forests of Cardon
cactus cling to the jagged slopes around you. The Sea of
Cortez offers easy navigation, sand-bottom anchorages
and a protected cruising area both winter and summer.
You are surrounded by deserted islands, quiet beaches,
mountains and magnificent scenery. Hiking, snorkeling,
diving, whale watching, fishing and bird-watching are
almost as rewarding as sailing here.
You're certain to have plenty of company here - a
sea-going escort of thriving wildlife. Visitors are mesmerized by the company of migrating whales, dolphins
and majestic manta rays. Expect the raucous serenade of
sea lions basking on shore. Beyond their
echoes is the quiet desert world of craggy
mountains and cactus forests. Sail among
the uninhabited islands and well protected
anchorages combining reddish-gold mountains and sapphire-blue water. Counter this
seclusion and tranquility with fine dining,
nightlife and shopping in La Paz and
you've got one of the most enjoyable and
rewarding sailing vacations possible.
Cost per person is just $1,595 for members or $1,795 for non-members and includes airfare, lodging and provisions. Only two spots left on this trip. Please contact the office to sign up!
Trip Cancellation Policy: If cancelled more than 6 months before departure date, full refund. If cancelled 90-180 days before departure date, deposit is not
refunded. If cancelled 60-89 days before departure date, 25% of total is not refunded. If cancelled less than 60 days before departure date, no refund.
Tahiti
September 8th - 17th, 2005
Call to reserve your spot today!
Only by boat can you truly experience the
magic of the Leeward Islands of Tahiti. Sail
tranquil lagoons in the shadows of volcanic
peaks just as ancient Polynesians did in outrigger canoes. Let trade winds scented with
the fragrant mix of orchid, frangi pani and vanilla carry you to the islands that have cast
their mesmerizing spell on writers, painters
and centuries of sailors.
Discover a place unspoiled by modern
times and seemingly reserved just for
you, where barrier reefs offer protection from a hectic world. Like generations of seafarers before you, you'll experience the gracious welcoming traditions of the gentle people of these islands. Ponder the source of a towering
waterfall and marvel at the sacred site
of an ancient temple. Drift above the
dazzling reefs, impossibly rich with
exotic colors. Anchor on a motu, a
vegetated islet on a reef, and watch a
sunset reflected in a placid lagoon.
Gaze out upon a distant horizon and, like
Fletcher Christian, you just may wish to
stay forever.
Cost per person is just $2,895 for members
or $3,095 for non-members and includes
airfare, lodging and provisions. To reserve
your spot call and place a deposit of $495.
The balance will be due July 1st, 2005. You
can make 6 payments of $400 each month
starting February 1st, 2005 if you prefer.
Trip Cancellation Policy: If cancelled more than 6 months before departure date, full refund. If cancelled 90-180 days before departure date, deposit is not
refunded. If cancelled 60-89 days before departure date, 25% of total is not refunded. If cancelled less than 60 days before departure date, no refund.