March 25, 2006 Spring Meeting San Francisco Yacht Club

(If you like, you can skip down through the prose and go straight to the pictures below!)

The southerly winds blasted across San Francisco's buildings and the Bay, past Alcatraz and Angel Island, right into the cove between Tiburon and Belvedere - and the San Francisco Yacht Club. Gusts to 40 knots drove rain and scud across the track of sturdy Islanders making their way to the Friday night beginning of the Spring Meeting weekend. The later they arrived, the worse it was.

But seven Islanders made the trip, tied securely to the SFYC docks, then dripped-dry in the cozy confines of Gary & Pat Salvo's Ophira while relating tales of their crossings and listening to the wind howl through the rigging. Among the brave and hearty who made the trip were Skipper & Nancy Wall (Snowflower), Smokey & Laurie Stover (Evanescence), Noble & Barbara Brown (Mai Pen Rai), Ron & Karen Damsen (Woodbine), Art & Betsy Fowler (Zenith), and Harry Farrell & Carol Williams (Pacific High).

Sometime after midnight the cold front blew through and the wind shifted west. But it still blew, and Dan Knox and crew Bonnie Aiello, arriving with Luna Sea (appropriately named??!!) reported 38 knots on their trip from Pier 39 across the Golden Gate "slot" to Belvedere. Dennis Gade's Freeport 36 Dolce vita also made it Saturday morning, as did Dennis, Judy & Matt Bush on Natural High and Steve Kent with Miss Kryptonite. That brought the total to eleven Islanders tied to the San Francisco YC docks.

Bright sunny patches began to grow through the stratocumulus and brief showers dwindled as the rest of the gang arrived by Land Yacht for the festivities. In total 36 boats were represented by 65 people. Here's the full list:

Name	Boat name
Aston,Robert & Mary Gleim	Pegasus
Brown, Noble & Barbara	Mai Pen Rai
Bush, Dennis, Judy & Matt	Natural High
Callahan, Jim	Gypsy
Carlson, Kip	GUEST SPEAKER
Damsen, Ron & Karen	Woodbine
Dickson, Mike, Daphne & Eleanor	Nimbus
Farrell, Harry, Carol, Michelle Williams	Pacific High
Fowler, Art & Betsy	Zenith
Furlong, Thomas	Vitesse
Gade, Dennis	Dolce Vita
Henderson, Don & Barbara	Kindred Spirits
Higdon, Bill	Blockbuster
Higdon, Jim	Blockbuster
Hodgkins, Charles & Kathryn	Mischief
Jefferies, Michael & Jean	Nantucket
Jones, June	Hurulu
Kent, Steve,	Miss Kryptonite
Knickerbocker, Bob & Maureen Drotleff	Woden
Knox, Dan, Myphi Alloy, Bonnie Aiello	Luna Sea
Langdon, Harry& Bernice Shapiro
Lefmann, Neil	True North
Mayo, Frank & Susan Brooks	Amante
McClellan, Roger & Linda	4 R Sanity
Melton, John & Nanci	Freedom Won
Muhiudeen, Jonathan	Pulau
O'Brien, Noel	Free Time
Salvo, Gary & Pat	Ophira
Shea, Tim	Lean Times
Shumacher, Don	Bluestreak
Stearley, James & Ginny	Sassy Girl
Stomp, Barry	Tom Cat
Stover, Smokey & Laurie	Evanescence
Szasz, Peter	Midnight Sun
Van Mell, Rick	Vanishing Animal
Verling, Vern & Cheryl Lawson	Dream Catcher
Wall, Skipper & Nancy	Snowflower
Watters, Richard	Tacoma Blue
Zevanov, Lou & Diane	Diana

Like a pack emerging from a winter's hibernation, we renewed last year's friendships and welcomed several new members. All walked the docks saying hello, getting tours, and were welcomed aboard the nearest boat whenever a rain shower blew past - like a watery version of musical chairs. Dan Knox (Luna Sea) is a relatively new member, as is Dennis Gade (Dolce Vita) and both had their boats there. By Land Yacht were Richard Watters (Tacoma Blue), June Jones had to represent Hurulu without husband Steve, and Harry Langdon & Bernice Shapiro are still boat shopping. Another new member, William & Kristine Moore, with Sugartime and three crew had planned to come but were called away by a family medical problem. We're looking forward to seeing them at future rendezvous. It's great to see new members as enthusiastic as our existing members - including the ones who we don't see often enough but who tend to make the Spring or Fall meeting - and that includes Tom Furlong (Vitesse), Jim & Ginny Stearley (Sassy Girl), Vern Verling & Cheryl Lawson (Dream Catcher) and Jim Callahan (Gypsy).

Smokey & Laurie Stover did their usual outstanding organizational job, and with help from Karen Damson, checked everybody in, handing out color-coded beef, chicken or fish tags and wine glasses as requested. Smokey has put together a slide show from the 2005 season and it played right through Attitude Adjustment hour until we sat down promptly at noon for lunch.

The San Francisco Yacht Club crew served an elegant luncheon starting with a crisp salad, through nicely cooked entrees with mashed potatoes and braised asparagus, topped off with a tasty custard tart. All this while the Cove House was packed with happy Islanders.

Commodore Tim Shea held sway with the meeting business, getting the Membership Report from Linda McClellan - 217 at the moment. Linda also researched the age distribution of our Islander members - with 1985 having the fewest at 3, to 1978 having the most at 33. Look for a full report in a future Newsletter. Treasurer Ron Damsen reported the coffers full - usual for this time of year with the dues in and no expenses! He cautioned that the annual cycle of membership will dip at the end of April when last year's members who have not paid their dues after a third reminder will be dropped. Kathryn Munn reported the Newsletter was in good shape and reminded people that the color version is available on the web site. To contain costs, we may survey the membership about the option of getting the Newsletter only on-line in the future. Rick Van Mell reported that the switch of our web site to InMotion Web Hosting seems to be working well, that we had 1.75 million hits in the last year, and requested all to "keep those pictures and stories coming".

The two jewels of our year are the cruising and racing programs. Laurie rattled off the cruise locations and encouraged all to attend. Smokey, who stood attention all the while, nodded his agreement when she was finished - "Just like it is in real life", we heard him say. Commodore Shea stood in for traveling Fleet Captain Joseph Krensavage and really encouraged our racers to get out and make the races - with a particular push for the always-fun Vallejo race. Rick picked up the reminder of the Sail Trim Clinic on April 8th - for all members.

Once business was attended to, the main event began. Tim introduced San Francisco Bar Pilot Kip Carlson who freely shared his 19 years of experience as a pilot. A twenty-eight minute video carried us out to sea, aboard big ships, under the big bridges and into tight channels. The attention to detail and the staggering precision necessary was apparent throughout. Even the training - sometimes in 1/25th scale model boats - demonstrated the need for both technical knowledge of navigation and the critical necessity to read the ability of the ship, its captain and crew to respond to navigational commands under all circumstances.

We see the red Pilot boats roaming the Bay quite frequently, for there are about 8,500 piloted vessels per year on the Bay. The routine is for a pilot to board a ship at dockside, navigate her out the Gate, then, literally, climb down a rope ladder and jump onto a Pilot boat outside the sea buoy. There he, or she (yes there is at least one female pilot) waits until an inbound ship arrives. Pilot boats are on station outside the sea buoy for four days at a time - a floating - if very bouncy - hotel for pilots. Occasionally there will be too many pilots waiting with a lack of inbounds, or a lack of pilots for a surplus of inbounds. That's when a "run boat" carries the extras one way or another. Thus, the Pilot boats we see are usually NOT going in or out the Gate. Besides, 70% of the pilots' work is done at night - the steamship companies like their vessels ready to unload at 0800 -- reduces union overtime you see.

How big are these ships we see coming and going? The max container ship is 1097', and the max draft is 50'. The speed limit is 15 knots (yep, FIFTEEN), but tankers are limited to 10. Still, don't mess with them. Kip likes to be doing 15 knots at the Golden Gate, 12 passing Alcatraz and "just" 10 knots under the Bay Bridge. If you'd like to know what's going on, you can follow VTS (Vessel Traffic SErvice) on channel 14, or bridge-to-bridge traffic on channel 13. A pamphlet on the various sea-lanes, bridge sections and the 200 commercial docks on San Francisco Bay and the rivers is available - it's called,"Where The Heck Is Collinsville?". Kip is getting us some, and we'll try to find a link to a copy on the web.

Oh yes, one last thought. It's the mathematical expression for the physics of the interaction of piloted vessels and recreational craft: "Fiberglass goes into Steel one Time, with no Remainder."

With that sobering thought we peppered Kip with half an hour of questions before the SFYC staff threw us out to get ready for another event. We didn't even have time to get to several presentations by our members of their adventures sailing to Mexico on the Baja Ha Ha - they will be featured at our Encinal Rendezvous on April 29th.

Many returned to the docks to talk, to look to relax - Dennis Gade figured he had read enough about Islander rendezvous that he is reported to have come stocked with wine, cheese and rum for the occasion. We REALLY like new members!

Pictures are compliments of Bill Higdon, Smokey Stover, Lou Zevanov, Charles Hodgkins, Ron Damsen & Rick Van Mell. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

Rainy Friday night...	so keep snug...	get back inside ...	and let it blow...
and rain!	Gary, Harry, Barb, Don & Smokey aboard Ophira	Carol, Karen & Pat ...	and Noble, Ron & Skipper
Woodbine Galley ...	and new TV.	Saturday morning early	Woodbine
Mai Pen Rai	Pacific High	Dolce Vita arrives	Here comes Miss Kryptonite ...
Nice going	Skipper & Don supervise	Evanescence even has Dish TV!	Happy camper Rick
Port side of fleet	Starboard side	Welcome!	A great pack...
of Islanders from...	every direction!	Nicely tied up	View from shore
Early birder ?	Great Bimini Top for ...	Noble & Barbara Brown	Dolce Vita looks great ...
Dennis Gade's secret drink is why!	Pacific High shines	Woodbine	Luna Sea arrives & ...
starts to back down ...	Don Schumacher wonders if they'll clear ...	lots of lines ...	back her in ...
(and Don comes to inspect) ...	Pat Salvo ties their stern so ...	Skipper Dan Knox can now smile!	Shutterbug Lou Zevanov ...
catches Rick shooting	Miss Kryptonite stern ties	Vern Verling & Cheryl Lawson check the fleet	Sandy Van Mell dressed in style
Bill Hidgon approves!	Fun on the docks	Harry Farrell	Zenith looks good ...
says Art Fowler & Sandy Van Mell	Sandy, Michele & Diane	Pat Salvo, Jim Higdon, Gary Salvo & Bill Higdon	You want up this gangplank?!
Harry Langdon & Bernice Shapiro thank Smokey for the tour	Rick gets roof-top shots	Michele Williams says it's time for lunch	Karen Damsen & Laurie Stover take money
And smile too!	Charles Hodgkins sets up the slide show	Jim & Ginny Stearly got their name tags	Bob Knickerbocker & Maureen Drotleff
Linda McClellan & Ron Damsen	Ron with Noel O'Brien	"What's in this?" Carol Williams says to Diane Zevanov	Bar line
more bar line	Robert Aston & Mary Gleim	Steve Kent with Michele Williams	Pat + Bush clan
Attitude adjustment station	Skipper & Nancy Wall & Jinny & Jim Stearley	Commodore Tim Shea	Art & Betsy Fowler
MIke Dickson, Harry Langdon & Bernice Shapiro	Richaard Watters & Bonnie Aielo	Dan Knox shoots back!	Noel O'Brien
Pat & Gary Salvo and Mary Glein & Robert Aston	Dennis Gade, Don & Barb Henderson	Sandy Van Mell, Lou & Diane Zevanov	Nanci & John Melton, Maureen & Bob Knickerbocker
Steve Kent, Barry Stompe & Michele Williams	Guest Speaker Kip Carlson with Tim & Smokey	June Jones flanked by Bob Knickerbocker & Tom Furlong	Dennis, Judy & Matt Bush
Dan Knox, Myphi Alloy & Bonnie Aiello	Vern Verling & Cheryl Lawson	Charles & Kathryn Hodgkins	"The Ghost" Jim Robinson
Jean Jefferies commands respect!	There she is (with Michael)	Ron Damsen & Jim Robinson	Jim Callahan & speaker Kip Carlson
Our Heros - Laurie & Smokey Stover	Barbara & Noble Brown	Commodore Shea presents	Laurie & Smokey present
Kip Carlson presents	Kip makes a point	"You want cool?" Eleanor says to mom Daphne & dad Mike Dickson	"This, is COOL."
Sunday Breakfast - Table 1	Sunday Breakfast - Table 2	Cruiser coming on watch ...	ready for orders
Harry Farrell departs ....	followed by Evanescence	Flying proud ...	and strong.

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