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Free Sailing at the Center for Wooden Boats

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Free Sailing at the Center for Wooden Boats

The Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle has always had the mission of getting people on the water. Again this year , next Saturday, it is providing free boating on Lake Union. See below for details. Kudos to the CWB. KH

You are invited to The Center for Wooden Boats on Sunday April 28th from 10-4PM to where we will be holding our third annual Free Boating Day! At last year’s Free Boating Day we were able to provide 580 people with free boating experiences. 

What To Expect: 

  • Free Boat Rentals: Enjoy complimentary 1-hour rentals of all human-powered boats, including peapods, rowboats, and canoes.  
  • Free Sailboat Checkouts: Sailors who have their sailing check out cards with us will take advantage of our free sailboat checkouts  
  • Public Sail: Free Boating Day will be our first Public Sail of the year! We will provide skippered boat rides on historic wooden boats. Sign up is on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to head outside of the Wagner Education Center early to secure your spot. Public Sail happens the last Sunday of every month from April-October.  
  • Youth and Family Activities: Keep the little ones entertained with a variety of free activities, including toy boat building, knot tying, woodshop demonstrations, and the chance to try a tool. Plus, Pond Boat demonstrations courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Model Yacht Club! 
  • Museum Access: Explore the rich maritime history of the Pacific Northwest with free access to our museum, featuring our new BIPOC art showcase exhibit, Marine Mosaic! 

Here’s the link!

Bruce’s Briefs: Wx for 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 April. Sloop Tavern Blakley Rock Race, Plus plenty of sailing all over the Salish Sea and a perfect weekend for it!

Bruce Hedrick Bruce's Briefs, Community , 0 Comment
Bruce’s Briefs: Wx for 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 April. Sloop Tavern Blakley Rock Race, Plus plenty of sailing all over the Salish Sea and a perfect weekend for it!

Wind from the north, temps in the 60’s, flowers starting to bloom, all good signs. This weekend should be great. Then there’s Monday where the high temp will be almost 15˚F lower than Sunday. Still no real rain on the horizon and as of today, we are almost an inch behind for the month.

Today’s surface analysis chart and sat pic provide a beautiful picture of what is going on in the Salish Sea. We’ve had the passage of a weak cold front this morning and behind this, a ridge of high pressure will start building over the area. This can already be seen by the strong northerly flow down the Strait of Georgia, through the San Juan Islands, and into Puget Sound. As with this classic situation, the best day for breeze is immediately after frontal passage. The best part is that while there may be some easing in the breeze tomorrow, there will be plenty to race with, just about everywhere. The only exception being Olympia which will remain light.

April 12 500MB
April 12 Surface Analysis
April 13 Surface Forecast
April 14 500MB
April 14 Surface Forecast
April 15 Surface Forecast
April 16 500 MB
April 16 Surface Forecast

Today’s sat pic shows the clearing starting to develop over the area as well as that big low-pressure system off the coast of Oregon. It is also interesting to note on the 500MB charts that this low intrudes into the upper levels of the atmosphere. The jet stream remains to the south of this low and will drag this weakening low into California by Sunday/Monday. This is why we’ll have such a nice weekend.

The north wind course for the Blakely Rock Benefit Race can be challenging because of the proximity of the weather mark (Meadow Point) to the starting line. Particularly if there’s a flood tide. With the slower boats starting first sometimes there can be congestion at the mark. Luckily tides should not be much of an issue as a max ebb of less than half a knot will be around 1000 hrs, with the slack at around 1230 hrs. With a persistent northerly of 10-15 knots blowing overnight and then building to 15-20 knots by the time the race starts, the flood may start early by 15-25 minutes. Just watch the classes ahead to see if congestion develops at the mark.

On the run from Meadow Point to Blakely Rock the problem will be keeping your air clear as well as finding a passing lane to get around the slower boats. There may tend to be more breeze on the west side of the Sound.

Blakely Rock will be the place where most of the fleet will compress and finding clear air will be a problem. The challenge will be to stay in clear air and not having to tack too much. The overall goal will be to hold port tack and get across the Sound to Magnolia. There will be some flood at West Point so try to stay out of the current without running aground between Four Mile Rock and the West Point Lighthouse. On this leg expect the breeze to be in the 10-15 knot range from the north.

After West Point don’t tack to port immediately at the Point, instead hold starboard until you can just lay the entrance to the Ship Canal. This will allow you to avoid the flood current that accelerates along the north side of West Point. It will also allow to better judge your approach to the finish line.

The current projections for breeze have this being a fairly speedy race with the TP-52’s around in 1hr 50min, the SC-52 around in 2 hr 05 min, the J-105’s around in 2hr 27 min, the J-35’s around in 2hr 28 min, the Cal 40 around in 2 hr 42 min and the J-30 around in 2 hr and 58 min.

Have a great race, stay safe and have a good time. 

2023 STAPYs (Sailish.com Totally Arbitrary Performance of the Year Awards)

Kurt Hoehne Community, Cruising, PNW sailors around the world, Racing, STAPYs 0 Comment

It must be said that the sailing and racing seems to have come up a notch in the Pacific Northwest in 2023. There’s a little more participation and a little more anticipation in the air before races. There are plenty of season champions and boats of the year out there, and I’d love to cover them all. Or at least a bunch. But time being in short supply, here are my STAPYs for 2023.

I’ve invited others to name their favorites, and now I’m inviting all the readers to chime in. Surely you can think of someone deserving of a Totally Arbitrary award. Remember, as a STAPY it doesn’t have to be a race winner or an expedition cruiser type. It could (and should) be someone who supports the sport or their fellow mariners, sets an example or provides inspiration.

Justin and Christina Wolff

The Wolffs have put an amazing program for the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 Red Ruby they own with Jonathan McKee. Perhaps their most jaw-dropping achievement was finishing second OVERALL in the 600+ mile Rolex Middle Sea Race. The first place boat? The 93’ fully crewed Wally Bullitt. The time difference? 24, count ’em 24, seconds. Here’s a little video of the couple after the finish:

In what seems to be an irreversible trend, doublehanded racing is gaining momentum. McKee and Peter Isler won the ORC doublehanded championships in Barcelona, Spain. Maybe Red Ruby will help as a springboard to the already growing doublehanded racing community in the PNW.

Adam, Daniela, Gunner (8) and Teddy (4) Lawrence

Easy Day under spinnaker for the first time.

You probably haven’t heard of Adam Lawrence. I certainly hadn’t when he inquired about my Swiftsure Yachts listing, the Swan 46 Freya. The cruising world was new to him. But true to his US Navy background, he approached it methodically and thoroughly. Adam recognized Freya’s solid construction and appreciated the pilothouse that Swan Fans wrinkled their noses at. That unique feature, Adam knew, would be a great place for his boys.

From overhauling the plumbing to renaming the Swan Easy Day, Adam and his team set an example I will point cruiser wannabes to for years to come.

Here’s the first of what I hope will be many videos.

Dan Falk 

Dan Falk

Dan won the RS Aero Worlds (9 rig) in Sardinia this year. It’s the second year in a row he’s done it. (Last year was on the Columbia River Gorge) He did it while sick and dehydrated, overcoming those issues plus a collision that knocked him out of a race.

That’s only one reason for the STAPY. He remains the mainstay of the Seattle RS Aero fleet, which is premier RS Aero fleet in North America. It also must make the rest of the world sit up (again) and wonder just what it is about the salmon we eat that makes the pointy end of the Seattle dinghy fleets so tough. During CYC’s PSSC Awards dinner, he bent over backward to applaud his training partner Keith Hammer for a well-earned victory. Dan is the kind of sailor that drives this sport. He sails hard, gives back and looks out for his fellow competitors.

Bob Perry’s a Hall-of-Famer, Officially

Kurt Hoehne Community, Pacific Northwest Sailing Industry 0 Comment
Bob Perry’s a Hall-of-Famer, Officially

Of all the notable sailing industry luminaries of the Pacific Northwest, none have had a greater influence on the world of sailing than naval architect Bob Perry. From his seminal Valiant 40 design to today’s “Carbon Cutter,” his work not only stands on its own, it has influenced cruising boat design for six decades. Over the years several aspiring designers have interned and worked with Bob and gone on to successful careers. Beyond that, his design review column in Sailing Magazine has educated and entertained since the 1970s. (Ed. Note. I had the honor of editing that column for some years) Still very much an active designer, Bob can also occasionally can be coaxed out of his “Shack” on the water to speak to groups, never failing to entertain. If you doubt that, listen to his acceptance speech, below.

Bob was just inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. It’s a well-deserved honor. Here’s the video of his acceptance:

CSR Converts Vic-Maui Sponsorship into Maui Rebuild Sponsorship

Kurt Hoehne Community, Vic-Maui Race 0 Comment

In a world where return-on-investment is gospel, the real long term return-on-investment, supporting the communities we live in and share our passion with, is too often lost. The Seattle boatyard CSR chose to use the funds it earmarked for the 2024 Vic-Maui race for helping rebuild Maui. We at Sailish hope 2026 is a great race with lots of boats prepping at CSR!

Here’s the note from CSR’s Nigel Barron to the Vic-Maui officials:

“CSR would like to direct our funds to the LYC Rebuild Fund. Throughout the years of sponsoring or competing in the Vic Maui race we’ve always been struck by the hospitality of the people of Hawaii and our friends at LYC. A hui hou, mahalo!”

SSP Fundraiser and Birthday Party at the Magnuson Cafe

Kurt Hoehne Community, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
SSP Fundraiser and Birthday Party at the Magnuson Cafe

Sail Sand Point is Seattle’s Non-Profit Community Sailing Center and it has been an oasis for small boat sailors in this area since 1998. This summer they are hosting their 25th Birthday Party Celebration and Fundraiser on the evening of Thursday July 27th over on Lake Washington and you should attend to celebrate and support their work! For this special year’s party they are taking over the beautiful deck of the Magnuson Cafe and Brewery overlooking the lake to celebrate with passed apps, dinner, open wine/beer/cider bar, live music, an award presentation to Rod Dembowski (King County Council President), student sailor remarks and a mess of fun raffles (including free haulouts, Kraken/Sounders/Mariners/Storm tickets, Hood River vacations, ski/snow packages, boat shows, local cruises, a kayak full of beers and LOTS more)! Many local sailors will be in attendance and YOU should join the mix. 

Hobie Waves at Sail Sand Point

Info and LIMITED tickets available here.

Derelict Tug Going Going Gone

Kurt Hoehne Community 0 Comment
Derelict Tug Going Going Gone

And in Ballard this morning…..

Thanks to alert reader Nigel Barron!

True Spirit the Movie

Kurt Hoehne Community, Sailing's Great, Women Sailors, Youth Sailing 1 Comment
True Spirit the Movie

If you’re like me, you have some mixed emotions any time a sailing movie comes out. I keep hoping one of those brilliant movie minds will somehow share with the world how great sailing is. Sometimes it comes close. More often, we get The Whomper (Wind) or the abysmal All is Lost. I’m pleased to report that True Spirit, the recently released Netflix movie about Jessica Watson’s circumnavigation, is engaging and accurate enough. It is only cringe-worthy in a few places, which for a sailing movie makes it a success.

Actress Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson

First off, Jessica Watson’s story is remarkable. You might remember when in 2010 the 16-year-old sailed into Sydney Harbor to be greeted by 100,000 thousand adoring Aussies including the prime minister. She is the youngest person to solo circumnavigate nonstop. While much of the sailing world wasn’t aware of her trip until that moment, Aussies had been tracking it all along. The movie makes clear just how important this voyage was to Australians.

The movie splits time between “Jess” on the boat and her family watching from home. Unlike sailors like my childhood hero Robin Lee Graham, today’s adolescent voyagers can (and do) call home daily on satellite phones. And with help from big sisters on shore, they even blog en route.

As far as the sailing footage and computer-generated monster waves, I’m reminded of A Perfect Storm. Some sensorial things can’t be generated in a computer. The cringe-worth moments were an overly drawn-out pitchpoling which left the lovely S&S 34 upside down for an eternity. While it surely felt like that to Watson, the sailors in the audience will likely cringe at the boat being upside down long enough for the EPIRB to go off, that information to be picked up by the rescue services, and a phone call made to the family.

Anna Paquin had the most impressive acting performance as Watson’s mother, transitioning from supportive and loving to her daughter and family, then breaking down with fear when the time came to be afraid. Teagan Croft does a good job of portraying Watson, and director Sarah Spillane managed to craft a movie that is inspiring but not too sappy.

The real Jessica Watson.Photo by Kate Dyer

My favorite moment in the movie was when the sailing community pulled together. I’ll bet they did just that. And I’m so glad Watson did her circumnavigation in a modest (but well built and prepared) older 34-footer. No need for new or big.

You might remember Maidentrip, the story of Laura Dekker’s circumnavigation. That too was a worthwhile movie and an amazing story.

I’d suggest going to the history vs. Hollywood website page to weed through the real vs fiction versions.

As an aside, moviemakers seem to be drawn to idea of a girl circumnavigating as opposed to a boy. One thing that True Spirit, Maidentrip and Jeanne Socrates‘ voyages make clear: the love for sailing and the desire to head out to sea doesn’t have much to do with gender or age. Girls of any age are just as drawn to it and capable as boys of any age, if not more. No serious sailors I know would see it any other way.

Million Dollar Maritime Museum of BC

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Victoria, BC remains one of the great PNW sailing destinations. For racers, it’s the Swiftsure race. For cruisers, Victoria is a natural cosmopolitan destination that can be part of a San Juans/Gulf Islands/Barkley Sound adventure. And it appears that one of the more interesting attractions will be strong for years to come. Thanks to the estate of Cora Shaw, the Maritime Museum of BC has a CAN$1 Million endowment to work with. It’s great to see Victoria embracing its maritime history in such a profound way. More from the Times Colonist.

My Friend Brad

Kurt Hoehne Community 2 Comments
Brad Baker

My friend Brad Baker died on September 30 after a remarkable fight with brain cancer. He was diagnosed nearly four years ago with a very aggressive glioblastoma.

The basics are that Brad died far too young at age 58, and is survived by his wife P.J. and sons Bryce and Austin. He co-founded Swiftsure Yachts and sent many sailors off in their perfect boats for their life-changing adventures. As a navigator, Brad won the Vic-Maui race multiple times, both on elapsed and corrected finishes. More than one skipper owe their trophies to Brad.

In addition to being my friend, Brad taught me a lot.

It was Brad who showed me someone can be a yacht broker, enjoy it and have some success. As a journalist, sailor and boat buyer, I viewed brokers skeptically and would say so. Brad took it all in stride, not taking it personally. That’s because he was a good broker in every sense of the word, caring for his customers and very up-front with all the elements of boat buying and selling.

As a racing sailor, I watched closely as he assembled winning teams. He knew that everybody on board was there to enjoy themselves, not just to make the boat faster. While as intense as anybody I’ve raced with, he always respected that bigger picture. He understood and played to everybody’s strengths, including the owners’.

But perhaps the most meaningful of Brad’s lessons was to seize the big moments when they came. In his case, it was to cruise with his family. When he saw the opportunity to long distance cruise with P.J., Bryce and Austin, he moved on it. At a time when staying home managing a business and making money was certainly an option (and one that would prevail for many) he saw the chance to give his family the invaluable long-term cruise. The Bakers crossed oceans, anchored in picturesque coves and met new and wonderful people in every port.

Brad at the computer

How valuable that time turned out to be.

Even after his diagnosis and treatments, Brad seized opportunities to sail, race and even deliver boats. He could have wallowed, but instead lived his life as best as possible right up until the end.

We all have lost a good shipmate. My heart aches for P.J., Bryce and Austin.