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HELLY HANSEN CHESTER RACE WEEK

Chester Race Week 2024 is here!

For many of us, this is a special time of year when friends, family, and competitors get together in one of the most visually stunning parts of our province for a four-day event in the hope of taking home a coveted award or trophy.

I would like to thank all our competitors for making this one of our largest Chester Race Weeks in the last decade. We currently have 132 boats registered, with 135 within our grasp. What an incredible turnout from our community. This year, we are hosting the J70 Canadian Championships, a growing pursuit course (Spinnaker, White Sail, and Classics), large PHRF fleets, and One Design fleets, which include a growing J105 class.

I’d also like to thank all our volunteers, who dedicate a lot of time to ensuring the event is fun, safe, and competitive for all. We could not do it without your hard work.

While the forecast looks light this week, I hope you all find clean space on the start line, clean air up the course, smooth gybes downwind, and, most importantly, an enjoyable race week. Please tag us in all your fun throughout the week so we can all enjoy the spirit of Chester Race Week.

Sincerely,

Dan Conrod

On-Water Chair

MRYC Labor Day Series on the Miles River

Enjoy a private river cruise to watch the log canoe races on the Miles River on board one of the vessels in CBMM’s historic floating fleet. Log canoe races are a quintessential Chesapeake pastime, and a log canoe charter provides an up close and exciting look at the action. Photographers, sailing aficionados, or wooden boat enthusiasts will all find something to enjoy on a CBMM log canoe charter!

(Following an exclusive sign-up period for CBMM members, open registration has begun. Early registration is encouraged as the number of charters available is limited.)

 

MRYC Labor Day Series on the Miles River
Capacity: Each charter can carry up to six passengers
Cost: $375, with 20% discount for CBMM Members

CBMM Model Guild Sailing Races

CBMM’s Model Guild invites general-admission guests to watch model skipjack races on select dates from May-November.

These radio-controlled (RC) sailing races take place on CBMM’s Fogg’s Cove waterfront from 11am–1pm. After the races are over, the course buoys will be left in place for CBMM members and guests to sail their own RC boats. All races are dependent on marine conditions. Learn more here.

For more information about the Model Guild or its races, contact Model Guild President and CBMM Lead Volunteer Gary Nylander at [email protected].

Atlantic Challenge

Every two years, a dozen nations convene for a friendly competition and cross cultural gathering were crews showcase their seamanship skills in a series of rowing, sailing, docking, knot tying and navigation events, and build friendly ties with the international crews.
Beyond on-the-water skills, the Contest will further global understanding and build friendly ties internationally. is one small way we can help move quarreling humanity toward a path of cooperation and peace. We believe getting young people together in boats, learning difficult manual skills, competing for shared success and living and eating together for 12 days has the power to transcend cultural, political and linguistic barriers. Indeed, this is the basis for the development of trust, connection and friendship.
​
Contestants are young adults: all crew members must be over 15; at least half will be under 22. 

The Contest events take place in the Bantry Bay gigs, which are copies of 18th-century French Navy Captain’s gigs. These vessels are 38ft long and are powered by three sails and ten oars. Each nation has their own vessel for the contest.

Lance Lee, of Rockland, Maine, co-founded the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship with Bernard & Michelle Cadoret, of France in 1984 as a way to bring young adults of different cultures together while also preserving traditional seamanship. The first two gigs Liberté and Egalité were built at the Rockport Apprenticeshop, in Rockport, Maine and the first Contest was held in New York City in July 1986.

More than 80 gigs have been built by 16 nations for participation in Atlantic Challenge. Typically 12 nations gather for the biennial Contest of Seamanship.

There has been a Contest every two years from 1986-2018. Atlantic Challenge USA is hosting the 2024 Contest.

SALISH 100

Overnight stops along the route are Henderson Inlet, Longbranch, Gig Harbor, Blake Island Marine State Park, Kingston, and Port Ludlow Marina before reaching our final destination in Port Townsend. Due to the Salish 100’s length and challenging waters an application must be completed prior to joining the event. Information: Salish100.org, facebook.com/groups/285180382147515/ and for questions please email directly at [email protected]

The fleet of small boats range from SCAMPs to Whitehalls, wherries, sharpies, melonseeds and flatiron skiffs; this includes a variety of smaller production sailboats and dozens of home-built sailing and rowing boats.

Along the route, small-boat skippers from across the states and other countries will experience everything the Salish Sea has to offer: currents racing through narrow channels, tide rips, sandbars, rocky shores, wonderfully protected anchorages, wind conditions ranging from flat calm to small-craft warnings, encounters with wildlife , and some new friendships that’ll last a lifetime. Many of the participants come from inland states to experience saltwater boating—tidal ranges of up to 14 feet—for the first time. Others drive thousands of miles to attend.

The Cruise works its way from Olympia to Port Townsend at 10-16 nautical miles a day, with overnight stops at:

  • Henderson Inlet
  • Longbranch, Filucy Bay
  • Gig Harbor
  • Blake Island State Park
  • Kingston
  • Port Ludlow

The final day of travel brings cruisers to the victorian seaport of Port Townsend.

More information can be found in the Cruise Information Packet.

Apostle Islands Cruise – 22 Catalina 22s

An adventure like no other! Often referred to as the “Caribbean of the North” this lake is unsalted and shark free! Launch from Bayfield, Wisconsin for a week-long adventure filled with lighthouses, amazing sunsets, and pristine beaches. catalina22.org/

Join us this year for the Apostle Islands Cruise August 12 to 17, 2024. It will be an adventure like no other. Often referred to as the “Caribbean of the North” this lake is unsalted and shark free! Well, that is if you don’t include my boat “Lake Shark”. We will launch from Bayfield, Wisconsin for a weeklong adventure filled with lighthouses, amazing sunsets, and pristine beaches.

So, make plans now to register for what was a favorite cruise in 2022 and now back for a new adventure in 2024. With 22 islands to explore, there’s never enough time to see them all. Still, we will have a great mix of anchoring out and marina stops. Of course, there is still the option to join us for a shorter cruise if a week is just more fun than you are quite ready for.

This year, please note that securing a marina slip is on your own and must be booked in advance. We plan to stay in a slip Monday August 12 and Thursday August 15. Slips on Madeline Island this year are running just over $70 for the night, and I would expect the same in Bayfield, but I am still working with the city to see if we can work out a deal. Full details on the cruise and plans can be found at:

Link to PLANS

So, stop dreaming and start living. That project boat has spent enough time in the driveway so let’s get it out there on the water. Afterall “if anything is gonna happen its gonna happen out there”- Capt. Ron. So, sign up today for the adventure of a lifetime and make some memories that you’ll share for generations. Registrations are available at:

Link to REGISTRATION

Swallows & Amazons – Open Boat Event

Our premier open boat event for everyone, now in its 25th year! Join us once again at the Walton & Frinton Yacht Club to race around the Island, and explore the backwaters.

This year we are extending the event to three days. High tides are: Friday 13:08, Saturday 13:51, Sunday 14:51. Sailing will start on the Friday for those that can make it, with a race round Horsey Island on Saturday, weather permitting. On the Friday or Sunday, again weather permitting, we might creep up Bramble Creek to say a quiet hello to the seals. Join on Thursday evening to make the most of the three days!

To mark our 25th year, Tessa Hodgkinson has written a lovely history and description of the event as it has evolved over the years:

The annual Swallows and Amazons Race is a delightful celebration of the diversity found in small Gaffers, the sailing adventures of the Walker & Blackett children, the wonderful back drop of the Walton Backwaters and of course, the ever forgiving, ever clinging Essex mud.

It all started some 35 years ago when Jon Wainwright and Brian Hammett started a “race around the island” for the smaller boats and dinghies at the Shotley Classic Boat Festival in 1989. It proved very popular with all the open boats and even some smaller cruisers, so eventually it broke away to form its own weekend event. The title of the weekend seemed an obvious choice, paying homage to Arthur Ransome and his inspirational books about the youngsters, delighting in their adventures and their freedom with their small gaffers in these very waters.

In the early 2000s we were regularly hosting 40 to 50 small boats at Swallows and Amazons, it was often the largest East Coast event. The boats were a wonderful collection, including real classics over 100yrs old, ex fishing boats including Lune whammels, winkle brigs, smacks boats, barge boats, whalers, also racing dinghies, 1920s one designs, dinghies and self-built boats, and they came from all over England and Wales in a spirit of goodwill and fun.

Saturday was race around Horsey Island, launch as soon as there is water and try to get back before the mud reappears. There were always adventures and spills, dinghies full of families and dogs, some definitely had pirates aboard, some pausing to seal watch and others offering tows to those becalmed without an outboard and needing a helping hand home.

Being a race, of course, there are prizes, but having such an eclectic fleet, handicapping is virtually impossible, so we made many classes, many prizes and a rule that each boat could only be awarded one prize, to share them around as much as possible and encourage all.

Sunday is fun day (just in case the race was not fun enough) we have had dinghy treasure hunts, sail in company to a picnic spot, visit the actual Swallow Island (by landowner invitation), seal trips and exploration into the furthest, shallowest backwaters.

As the years have gone by Swallows and Amazons has reduced in size, but the spirit of fun and inclusivity remains, prizes for all and never more than one each. There is an increasing fleet of east coast smacks boats that regularly support the event and all small gaffers and assorted classics are very welcome. Come by sea or land, enjoy the secret waters and friendly pirates, watch out for seals and mastodons … they can all be found here.

41st Annual Classic Mariner’s Regatta – Port Townsend Sailing Association

NOTICE OF RACE

1. ORGANIZING AUTHORITY The 41st Annual Classic Mariner’s Regatta is organized by the Port Townsend Sailing Association (PTSA).

2. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY  The regatta is open to sailboats of all designs and materials. All sailboats are welcome! Boats may enter by completing the entry form and submitting it, together with the required fee, online at Regatta Network: https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/28044

3. ENTRY FEE The entry fee is $ 35 per vessel until May 22nd. Late and day of registration fee is $50.

4. VENUE Port Townsend Bay

5. RULES The event is governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (2021-2024). More info on the Racing page of the PTSA web site.

6. Sailing Instructions The Sailing Instructions will be available after May 24, 2024 at the event Regatta Network site (see above).

7. CLASSES Separate starts for PHRF, One-design, Cruising, and In-shore boats. Classes will be determined after registration. Provisional ratings will be assigned by the local ratings/ handicap committee for boats without an official PHRF rating (https://phrf-nw.org).

8. PRIZES Prizes will be awarded for each class.

9. MOORAGE Point Hudson Marina has space reserved for CMR participants. You can make a reservation through their website, use the code: CMR2024 and that should allow you access to the available slips. We have 5 slips reserved through May 7. The Boat Haven marina does not accept advanced reservations, but will take reservations the morning of your arrival, if you want to take the chance. If you have any questions, please call Holly Kays at 360-531-0462 so that we can help make your stay in Port Townsend as easy as possible.

10. RISK STATEMENT & PERSONAL CONDUCT 1. Rule 3 states: ‘The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue to race is hers alone.’ By participating in this event each competitor agrees and acknowledges that sailing is a potentially dangerous activity with inherent risks. These risks include strong winds and rough seas, sudden changes in weather, failure of equipment, boat handling errors, poor seamanship by other boats, loss of balance on an unstable platform and fatigue resulting in increased risk of injury. Inherent in the sport of sailing is the risk of permanent, catastrophic injury or death by drowning, trauma, hypothermia or other causes. 2. Competitors will accept full responsibility for their actions during any activity related to this event. This includes on-shore activities before, during, and after the regatta.

11. SCHEDULE Saturday, June 1: 10:00 am – Skippers meeting at PTSA Clubhouse near the boat ramp in Boat Haven. 12:00 pm – First start warning. Fleets will race up to 2 triangle course races. One-Design classes (3+ boats) may have other style courses- see Sailing Instructions for details. 6:00 pm – Casual dinner at the PTSA Clubhouse. Cost is $12.00 – you can pay at the same time you register(preferred as this gives us an accurate planning head count!) or with CASH/check at the door. Sunday, June 2: 12:00 pm – Race start warning. The race will be a random leg, reverse (pursuit)* start based on vessel ratings. 4:00 pm – Post race awards gathering at the PTSA Clubhouse. *All boats will be assigned an individual start time based on their rating. Individual boat start times will be posted on Saturday night at the dinner event. The start times will also be posted Sunday morning at the PTSA Clubhouse door. We look forward to your participation in the 41st Annual Classic Mariner’s Regatta!

WaterTribe Everglades Challenge 2024

Tampa Bay To Key Largo In Sea Kayaks, Canoes and Small Boats

The next Everglades Challenge is  Saturday, March 1, 2025. There is registration and equipment inspection on Friday, February 28, 2025, prior to starting.  Cost is $495.00  for the captain and $495.00 for crew members if any.

Billing starts January 1.
Registration ends January 26 at noon.
Payment Deadline is January 26 at noon.

Due to the extreme commitment for this race late registration and/or late payments will not be allowed. We recommend that you commit to this race early so you have plenty of time for planning, training, and preparation. Pay early in the payment cycle. You can get a full refund up until January 26 at noon. No refunds after that date and time.

All WaterTribe events are dangerous events as defined by Florida law and common sense. You are responsible for your own safety. You must read and understand the warning before you register for this event.

The Everglades Challenge is an unsupported, expedition style adventure race for kayaks, canoes, and small boats. The distance is roughly 300 nautical miles depending on your course selection. There is a time limit of 8 days or less. Your safety and well being are completely up to you.

Unsupported means that there are no safety boats or support crews to help you during the race. You are not allowed to have a support crew follow you or meet you during the race. It is OK to have family or friends meet you at the official checkpoints, but they cannot provide anything other than emotional support. See the official WaterTribe rules for more details.

Expedition style means that you must carry the same type of equipment and supplies that you would carry on a major expedition lasting 4 weeks or more. Camping equipment, food, water, safety, communication, etc. is required. See the Rules and Warning link at the top of this page for the official required equipment list for more details.

Although this is a race, many participants are more interesting in cruising and adventure. Whether you are a cruiser or racer is up to you. Just getting to the starting line is a major accomplishment and only about 40% of starters are able to finish. You should be an expert kayaker and/or sailor before you consider this challenge.

SPECIAL NOTE 1:  You can earn an alligator tooth award by completing the entire Everglades Wilderness Waterway between Chokoloskee and Flamingo. There are specific rules for earning that tooth:

  • You must obey all Everglades National Park rules.
  • SPOT must be correctly used at all times.
  • You must complete the entire WW as shown on their official maps. You can exit at Broad River and return via Broad Creek. Using the Harney River from the outside is not allowed.
  • The Nightmare is an option. Some people say that taking the Nightmare is easier than negotiating Broad Creek from the entrance. The choice is yours.
  • Once you have reached Whitewater Bay you may follow the marked route or take the Joe River or any other route to cross the bay and enter Tarpon Creek and the Buttonwood Canal.
  • In some years challengers have taken the Hells Bay Canoe Trail to Tarpon Creek. Since this is marked on the official map, it is also OK.
  • You must portage your boat a short distance between the fresh water side and the salt water side at Flamingo. You cannot receive assistance from the Race Manager, CP Captain, or bystanders. Challengers participating in the event may assist other challengers (see the note below).

SPECIAL NOTE 2: In some previous years we have provided a boat cart or other assistance for the short portage at Flamingo. As of EC2011 and beyond a boat cart will not be provided and all challengers crossing from the fresh water side to the salt water side must do this short portage without outside assistance. No cart will be provided. You must carry your own if you plan to use one. If bystanders want to help they cannot. However, other WaterTribers who are in the same event can help – see the ad hoc team rule.

The Everglades Challenge follows the SW Florida coast line from Fort Desoto in Tampa Bay, Florida to Key Largo. You will enter Everglades National Park near Everglades City and you will be within their boundries until you get near Key Largo.  You must follow all park rules and regulations.

Note that the WaterTribe Marathon runs concurrently with the Everglades Challenge.  The schedule mentions both races.

Barefoot Raid BC

The raid will feature:

  • 7 days of racing
  • 15 legs
  • 100 nautical mile course
  • A mothership providing 3 meals a day and other support
  • Sponsors supplying some great prizes for the racers!

Eligibility requires:

  • A boat no smaller than 12 feet and no larger than what can legally be transported on a highway.
  • Complete application with deposit (1/2 total entry fee) must be received no later than April 30, with full amount due by May 20th.
  • Being a member of the TSCA (there’s a B.C. Chapter!) — https://tsca.net/join/
  • If under 18, signed permission from your parents.
  • Carrying the safety gear required under Canadian maritime law.

Courses and classes:

As the whole fleet can only move as fast as the slowest boats, an effort has been made to keep course lengths to that which can be done by the slowest of our group. While many small boat sailors prefer to just meander about, taking in the sights, others prefer to fly at blinding speed. In an effort to appeal to as many of the small boat types as is practical, this event will have classes. Also, in an effort to balance the spectrum of small boat types, some legs will be sailing only, while others will be rowing/paddling/pedaling (human-powered) only, and most will be whatever combination you prefer.

Racing class:

This will be a hard fought, bitterly contested, no holds barred, battle for supremacy. To maintain this level of focus, racers will want light, empty boats, and minimal equipment. That is why our motherships will be here: to relieve us of that burden of gear (and feed us). The ultimate glory of this adventure will belong to those of the racing class.

Cruising class:

This will be the best time out sailing and camping with your friends. Ever. Be totally self-sufficient, or join the racers for meals on the mother ship. Fill your boat with all the favourite, non-perishable food items that you usually bring on every week-long sailing trip; or pay for meals but not for prizes. Either way, you’ll get to laugh at the antics of the racers — battling for every fraction of a knot of boat speed. Enjoy the spectacle, while basking in the glow of your own, self-reliant, non-competitive accomplishments.

The long course:

This course will be for an elite few, who find the modest course distances outlined to be an insufficient challenge, and wish to demonstrate their superior speed by sailing circles around the fleet. Literally. Upon reaching a pre-determined waypoint, long course challengers will then double back and round the race boat at the back of the fleet, before continuing on to the finish. This will promote safety, by keeping the fastest boats in touch with the slowest, and will add entertainment value for those in the back of the fleet, giving them a chance to see what fast boats look like under sail. Those who achieve victory in the long course will receive their own even-faster-than-the-regular-racers trophy.

Getting there and away:

Barefoot Raids typically start and finish at a boat ramp parking nearby for trucks and trailers. Often there are camping options in the vicinity. Some participants anchor out prior to the start day or cruise to the start line sans trailer.

Costs:

All amounts are in Canadian dollars. Cost for full race participants will be $1100 (Canadian) per boat and skipper, and $600 for each additional crew.

Payment can be made by cheque, money order, eTransfer, or crypto. Contact Commodore Quill [email protected] for e-transfer. Cheques and money orders can be made to Barefoot Wooden Boats, and sent to 2925 North Rd., Gabriola Island B.C. V0R 1X7. Equivalent in gold bullion or silver accepted as well.

What you will need:

Besides your winning attitude, there are a few things you will need to bring with you on the Raid. Some, are required under Canadian Maritime law. Others are just things you should never go to sea without, and are required under Raid law.

The following is a list of things you MUST bring:

  • Life jacket for each person on your boat
  • 50’ buoyant heaving line
  • Noise making device
  • Flares
  • Compass
  • VHF radio
  • Paper Charts of all the area travelled on the Raid.
  • Anchor sufficient to hold your boat in strong winds, 20’ chain, and 200’ anchor rode. (minimum)
  • Three,  20’ lines for mooring boat.
  • GPS device (e.g. handheld GPS, Navionics on a smart phone, in a waterproof case…)
  • Spare batteries and charge cords for devices
  • Knife
  • Headlamp
  • Fire (lighter, matches…)
  • Personal cutlery kit (plate, bowl, cup, knife, spoon, fork…)
  • Sleeping gear
  • Shelter (tent, tarp…)
  • Waterproof bag with a dry change of warm clothes
  • Spare oar or paddle
  • 4 good fenders.
  • Basic first aid kit

These are some things you might want:

  • 300’ or more, of line, with pulleys sufficient to rig a clothesline mooring system
  • Sleeping pad
  • Beach chair
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Lip chap
  • Basic spares kit
  • Dry bags for everything
  • Blankey…

The English Raid – Plymouth Raid V3

The Raid will be based at the Mountbatten Water Sports and Activities Centre in Plymouth as in 2017 and 2015.

The Raid is taking place in school holidays in order to help those Raiders who have children (or Grandchildren) still at school. It is also the only dates that were available

We have booked all of the bedrooms as accommodation for the Raid.

Cars and trailers can be parked at the Centre.

There are spaces for up to 8 camper vans. Plug-in facilities for camper vans are available.  All Camper Van users will have 24-hour access to the Centre for showers and WC included within their charge. There are very few camping facilities nearby, although plenty of B&Bs and rental properties.

The boats will be launched, moored and recovered at Mountbatten Centre (MC).

The exact programme needs to remain as flexible as possible and will depend on tidal and weather conditions.  Thus, apart from Monday and Thursday evening/Friday morning, everything is fluid.

MONDAY 19th August

Day:

Arrival and registration

Evening:

18.00 Welcome reception

20.00 Supper

DAY A

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail to Newton Ferrers

Racing on passage to and from Newton Ferrers

Lunch on beach and or pub

Return  Mount Batten

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

DAY B

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail to Cawsand for lunch,

Racing in Harbour

Return Mount Batten

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

DAY C

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Briefing 09.00

Sail up the Tamar

Lunch possibly at Saltash Sailing Club

Racing on passage to and from
Saltash Sailing Club

Supper 20.00 ( Location TBA )

Thursday 22nd August EVENING

Some recovery of boats

Supper at Royal Western Yacht Club 20.00

Prize giving after supper

Friday 23rd August

Breakfast 07.30- 08.30

Recover boats/free sailing

ACCOMMODATION:

We have booked all of the bedrooms as accommodation for the Raid.  Cars and trailers can be parked at the Centre.  Plug-in facilities for up to 8 camper vans are available.  All Camper Van users will have 24-hour access to the Centre for showers and WC included within their charge. There are very few camping facilities nearby, although plenty of B&Bs and rental properties.

FOOD:

Breakfast for those with beds in the Mountbatten Centre is included. Camper Van residents and live-aboards can buy breakfasts at the Centre for £8.00 per head per day but these need to be booked the day before.

Packed lunches will be provided on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for all Raiders.

Supper will be provided on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for all Raiders.

COST:

The cost of participation in the Raid is expected to be £300 per person (this includes 3 packed lunches, 4 dinners, mooring fees and car and trailer parking).

In addition the cost of room-based accommodation in the Mountbatten Centre (including breakfast) is £160 per person (Monday evening to Friday morning).  Please note that you may end up sharing a room with crew from another boat as there are only 26 rooms in the Centre. Couples will not be asked to share and will be given their own room.

If you wish to stay in a camper van on the premises the cost is £28 per day per van (including electric hook-up) i.e,£112 for the 4 nights from Monday to Friday.  Those in camper vans (or live-aboards) may purchase breakfasts from the Centre at £8.00 per head per day.  These breakfasts can be booked in advance or the day before.

There is no charge for children under 5 and children 5 – 12 will be 50% of the adult cost.

To book your place on the Raid please go to Register 2024  and complete the form and send it to us.   A booking deposit of £75 per boat will secure your place.

402410 61420933 and Raid England are the details you will need if using online banking

If you are making an overseas transfer you will need to know that HSBC is the bank and that Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, UK is the address together with some or all of the below.  I have recently been using a system called Wise (https://wise.com) very successfully with much better exchange rates than most banks but contact me first to discuss the best way of paying.  If you insist upon using a traditional bank please can you “pay” the transfer fees as well because UK banks charge us a lot for accepting money from outside the UK.

IBAN: GB58HBUK40241061420933

Branch BIC (BIC 11): HBUKGB4113V

Bank BIC (BIC8): HBUKGB4B

otherwise please send an old-fashioned cheque made payable to:

Raid England

to
Geoff Probert

60 St. Marks Rd.

Henley-on-Thames,

Oxon

RG9 1LW

Geoff Probert

01491 577220

geoffprobertatgmaildotcom

Peter Chesworth

01209 822054

peteratwillowbridgecottagedotcodotuk

(substitute at & dot with the usual symbols  in order  to defeat the automated spammers)

Vinden Drar

We have the pleasure of inviting you to Vinden Drar 2024 in the southernmost area of ​​Norway. The arrangement has been added to Prestøya, a pleasant little island, about 1.5 nautical miles outside Farsund. The dates have been chosen because on Sunday evening / night we will participate with the boats in a play (outdoor theater) about the privateering business in the South during the Napoleonic wars. Prestøy is a small island with no shops, but there is reason to shop on excursions cf. Program. It has coordinates N58’07 E06’83.

The welcome soup will be served on Tuesday evening 9/7 and the closing party will be on Monday 15/7.

R2AK Race To Alaska

RACE TO ALASKA EXPLAINED

Stage 1 Race start: Sunday, June 9, 2024, 5:00 AM, Port Townsend, Washington
Stage 2 Race start: Wednesday, June 12, 2024, High Noon, Victoria, BC
Application Open: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at noon
Application deadline: Tax Day baby! April 15

 

The inside passage to Alaska has been paddled by native canoes since time immemorial, sailing craft for centuries, and after someone found gold in the Klondike the route was jammed with steamboats full of prospectors elbowing each other out of the way for the promise of fortune.

It’s in the spirit of tradition, exploration, and self-reliance that Race to Alaska was born. R2AK is the first of its kind and North America’s longest human and wind powered race, and currently the largest cash prize for a race of its kind.

This isn’t for everyone

It’s like the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear. There are squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.

The hardest kind of simplicity

You, a boat, a starting gun. $10,000 if you finish first, a set of steak knives if you’re second. Cathartic elation if you can simply complete the course. R2AK is a self-supported race with no supply drops and no safety net. Any boat without an engine can enter.

Contact: [email protected]

David W. Dillion Plans at Mystic Seaport’s Website

Posted on by Anne Bryant

Special thanks to friend-of-the-magazine Ben Fuller for bringing it to our attention that 37 drawings by David W. Dillion of 15 different designs have recently appeared on Mystic Seaport Museum’s website. The plans are now available for purchase, too.

From the archives: Read about the Woods Hole Spritsail Boat, one of the boats Dillion documented for Mystic Seaport.

From Mystic Seaport: “David W. Dillion was an engineering draftsman before establishing a career as a freelance boat documentation specialist. He measured and drew more than seventy boats up to a hundred feet in length and taught lines-taking at the WoodenBoat School and half a dozen maritime museums across the United States. His plans have been published in WoodenBoat and other periodicals. He was the major contributor to the Museum Small Craft Association’s publication Boats, A Manual for Their Documentation.

List of Available Dillion Plans

North Haven Peapod, 13’x 3’10″. Carvel planked.

Nova Scotia Gunning Skiff, 14’9″ x 4’2”. Carvel planked, double ender.

Five Islands Skiff, 15′ x 4’5″. Round hull, transom stern, carvel planked.

Abaco Dinghy. Owned by Lance Lee, carvel planked, transom stern. No centerboard.

Bindals Boat, 15′-10″ x 4′3″. Danish built in the Norse style. Owned 1985 by James S. Rockefeller, Jr. Study plans only to show construction details.

Whitney Gunning Float duck hunting boat for oar or scull, 15’7″ x 48″. Carvel planked, transom stern.

Rangeley Boat, Herb Ellis No. 2, 17′2″ x 4′2″.

Whitehall pulling/sailing boat built by Orvil Young during 1968-69 as a recreational boat for the schooner ROSEWAY of Camden, Maine, 16′3″ x 4′5″. Based on fig. 73 of Chapelle’s American Small Sailing Craft. Carvel planked.

Rangeley Boat, Herbert N. Ellis #3; a wide transom attempts to make a more stable outboard version.

Westport Sharpie Firefly, 12’3″x 4’4″. Flat-bottomed and cross planked skiff, centerboard, two planks per side.

Lighthouse Peapod, 14’2 “x 4’8”. Carvel planked.

Matinicus Peapod, Sailing, 15’ x 4’6″. Based on John Gardner’s plans and documented as-built by the Apprenticeshop in Rockland, Maine. Lapstrake with centerboard.

Creole Skiff Gibben Dupre, 17′9″ x 4′9″. Built by Alexander Giroir at Pierre Part, Louisiana, in 1934.

Canoe by J.R. Robertson, 15′ x 30″. Built at Auburndale, Mass. in the early 1900s. Lapstrake construction.

Rushton canoe Ugo, 16′ x 30″. Smooth-skin lapstrake.

2019 Small Reach Regatta

The idea of the SRR is to gather together small sail-and-oars boats for sailing, with the same kind of camaraderie and appreciation that the ERR has established. We will sail on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This year, we plan a one-way sail from Herrick Bay to the waters off the campground, where we’ll anchor, so secure anchoring ability is especially important. The next day will be a return to Herrick Bay. Final haulouts, trailering, and departure will take place on Sunday, July 28, vacating the campground before noon and the boatyard as soon as possible.

Click here for full details about the event and how to sign up.

Boating safety is always a priority at the SRR, and the fleet is accompanied at all times by a chase fleet, usually six fast powerboats. Participating boats are required to meet a checklist of safety equipment. Our safety demonstrations in years past have included a firing of emergency flares and a deliberate capsize and self-recovery. We take safe seamanship seriously.

E-mail is our preferred method of communication. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. We hope to see you this summer on the coast of Maine!

For more information, contact

Tom Jackson <[email protected]>; or
David Wyman, <[email protected]>.

Gathering of Traditional Small Boats at the Wilson Museum

A Gathering of Traditional Small Boats

rowboatsIt’s a boat show!

No, it’s a ribbon-cutting!

No, it’s a program with speakers!

No, it’s a yummy food event!

Actually, it’s ALL OF THE ABOVE!

The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association is pleased to sponsor the dedication of the Wilson Museum’s new Antique Boat Exhibit and Boat Shop on July 3, 2019 beginning mid-morning. This will be a great opportunity to see a wide variety of small boats and chat with their knowledgeable and enthusiastic owners.

At 11 a.m. Penobscot Marine Museum Curator, Ben Fuller, will give a talk entitled On Matinicus It’s a Double-Ender about small peapods.

The aromas from the outdoor bake oven will entice attendees across the street at noon to sample Museum-made bean-hole beans, pulled pork, blueberry buckle, as well as a variety of smoked fish (mackerel, alewives, or smelt) from the Downeast Salmon Federation’s smoker.

Wood ShopAt 2 p.m. take part in the Exhibit and Boat Shop ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony followed by Tom Jackson, senior editor at WoodenBoat, giving a talk entitled Modern Small Craft: Building on Tradition about the current use of traditional small craft. Then, to top it off, there will be a showing of the WoodenBoat video The 2015 Small Reach Regatta provided by Small Reach Regatta.

This event is free and open to the public! It’s a boat-enthusiast’s dream day—don’t miss it!

 

NOAA Releases New Version of Chart No. 1

Posted on by Anne Bryant

The chart of charts has been updated. This article at NOAA’s website details the revisions that appear in the new version.

As always, the chart is available for free download through NOAA’s site, and they say that you can buy the new printed version through four approved printers and distributors. Chart No. 1, “describes the symbols, abbreviations, and terms used on paper NOAA nautical charts and for displaying NOAA electronic navigational chart (NOAA ENC®) data on Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). The document also shows paper chart symbols used by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and symbols specified by the International Hydrographic Organization.”

NOAA Office of Coast Survey

Chart No. 1 as a booklet. Image courtesy of NOAA.

The Dramatized History of the Bantry Bay Gig in Camden

At Camden Library’s Amphitheater, Mick Delap, a writer, historian and avid sailor in retirement after a career in journalism at the BBC, and Apprenticeshop founder Lance Lee will host an interestingly presented history of the Bantry Bay Gigs of International Atlantic Challenge fame.

Delap, with a cast of actors, will perform a theatrical version of important moments in the gigs’ history accompanied by a duo from Belfast, Maine who will play Irish music on authentic instruments.

Following that, Lee will describe the modern history of the gig after it was “rediscovered” in 1944 and he’ll talk about the beginnings of the Atlantic Challenge and its mission to further international camaraderie among sailors. Following his presentation, he will invite the audience for a close look at a model of a gig that he will bring for the Q&A session.

 

FMI:
Email Cayla at the Camden Public Library [email protected]
Email Heidi Kaufmann at [email protected] or call her at 207 326 9386.

Man Who Crossed Bering Strait in Dinghy Deported from Russia

Posted on by Anne Bryant

John Martin III had originally been planning to sail to China aboard his 8′ Walker Bay dinghy, but he ended up in Russia two weeks after his departure. He’s now been deported about six months after his arrival, and has written blog entries about his time there.

Many people sharing this story or reading the background have found that Martin’s past is both complicated and dramatic. From a small-boat standpoint, he’s very lucky to have had a safe arrival and a safe deportation from Russia, but it also demonstrates how boats are taking care of us probably just as much as we’re taking care of them.

Walker Bay dinghy and gear laid out on a tarp in RussiaJohn Martin

The 8′ Walker Bay dinghy and gear John Martin had with him.

New England Junket: 2nd Annual Junk Rig Gathering

The New England Junket will happen this year on Labor Day weekend, in Gouldsboro Bay, Maine. This is a gathering of Junk Rig Association members and others who sail junk rigged boats and/or are interested in junk rig. Emphasis is on sailing together and visiting, in the context of sharing information and interest in junk rigs.

Accommodations: Protected anchorages are nearby and a small number of moorings are available. Camping is available about 3 miles away at Mainayr Campground, which boasts tidal access to Joy Bay, at the head of Gouldsboro Bay. There are two nearby boat ramps, one tidal, the other deepwater and paved. One is on Joy Bay, and the other on the west shore of Gouldsboro Bay, just south of the narrows into Joy Bay.

Gorgeous sailing is to be had in Gouldsboro Bay and outside of it to the east and west. Gouldsboro Bay is approximately 10 miles east of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, and about halfway between Penobscot Bay and the Bay of Fundy.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Shemaya, at [email protected]

For online information, see:
Junk Rig Sailing Facebook page (scroll down for event notice)
Junk Rig Association member events listing

OkoumeFest 2018

Chesapeake Light Craft will present its 20th annual small boat rendezvous, OkoumeFest, on Friday and Saturday, May 18-19, 2018.

“Okoume” is the plantation-grown African hardwood used in tens of thousands of CLC’s build-your-own-boat kits. OkoumeFest features an open house with technical seminars on Friday at the CLC plant in Annapolis, and on Saturday an on-the-water rendezvous at Matapeake State Park on Kent Island. This event is RAIN OR SHINE. Please note that if thunderstorms are detected nearby we’ll bring the boats off the water.

The Friday seminars are informative and fun, but the highlight of OkoumeFest always comes on Saturday, when we bring virtually everything in our shop over to the beach at Matapeake for our friends to paddle, row, sail, and generally put through their paces. We also encourage fellow boatbuilders to bring their homebuilt watercraft to show and compete for best-in-show honors and various awards.

OkoumeFest is also a special chance to try some of the boats, such as PocketShip, that they can’t usually take on the road with them. You’ll also be able to try out new designs, such as the Jimmy Skiff II, Tenderly XP, and the Waterlust Sailing Canoe. Attendance is free on both days this year, but please RSVP so that CLC can plan for the hordes.

Friday [schedule] features an open house at the CLC factory with shop tours, boatbuilding seminars with experts, and a cookout. Everything in the CLC store will be discounted, including boat kits.

On Saturday [schedule] the event moves to Matapeake State Park on Kent Island, where nearly 60 CLC boats will line the beach. They welcome you to try out boats all day long, or bring your own to show off.

Sydney Flying Squadron to Visit Annapolis, MD

Posted on by Anne Bryant

This just in from the news ticker:

The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced that sailors from the Sydney Flying Squadron, Australia’s oldest open boat sailing club, will be visiting Annapolis on September 13-17, 2017 to participate in a race regatta featuring classic American Sandbaggers and historical Australian 18-Footers. The Squadron is shipping their own fleet of historical 18-foot skiffs from Australia to Annapolis specifically for this event. They will also race their boats in the 8th Annual Classic Wooden Sailboat Rendezvous & Race on September 16-17.

The historical 18-foot skiffs, considered by many to be the fastest class of sailing skiffs, began racing on Australia’s Sydney Harbor in 1892 and later in New Zealand. They’re called “Aussie 18s” by their owners.

The 18-Footers will be launching everyday at 10:30 a.m. from the Annapolis Sailing School and will be on display to the public at 11:00 a.m. on the mornings of September 13, 14, 15 and 16 at the National Sailing Fame docks. For complete schedule of events for the boats and their crew click here.

About the boats:

ABERDARE

Skipper: John Winning
Original built: 1932
Modern build: 2000
Builder: Robert Tearne
Beam: 7′
When launched on the Brisbane River this revolutionary skiff was an instant success – Aust 18’ champion four years in a row from 1933 to 1937 (skipper Vic Vaughan). Revolutionary because she was a heel-less skiff type 18 footer with seven foot beam and a depth of only two feet.

 

ALRUTH

Skipper: Ian Smith
Original built: 1947
Modern build: 2001
Builder: Robert Tearne
Beam: 7′
Dedicated to and assisted by the Beashel family, who were famous 18-footer sailors. One of the key marks within Sydney Harbour is named the “Beashel Buoy“ and the name “Alruth” is a combination of Alf Beashel and his wife’s name Ruth. Their grandson, Colin, represented Australia in sailing and was Australian Team Captain and Flag Bearer at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

 

AUSTRALIA IV

Skipper: David Swales
Original built: 1943
Modern build: 2007
Builder: Billy Fisher, Jr.
Beam: 7′
Original built in 1943 by Bill Fisher, Sr. and his sons Tom and Jimmy. It was club champion in 1944 and 1945 and State Champion in 1945 and 1946. Replica built by Bill Fisher, Jr. as a tribute to his family, from a model owned and passed down through the generations.

2017 Small Reach Regatta a Success

Posted on by Anne Bryant

What a turnout and what a variety of boats this year at the Traditional Small Craft Association‘s Small Reach Regatta, held in Brooklin, Maine. The gathering is a labor of love for WoodenBoat Senior Editor Tom Jackson, who returned from a small boat raid in Sweden wanting to have a similar event here in Maine. They’ve been at it for 11 years now.

Here’s a look at the end of their lunch stop on Babson Island as the boats got underway:

The Downeast TSCA’s website explains, “The idea of the SRR is to gather together small sail-and-oars boats for sailing, with the same kind of camaraderie and appreciation that the ERR has established. The boats typically sail courses of 5 to 15 nautical miles on three successive days (Thursday through Saturday) starting from the waterfront anchorage each morning and returning each afternoon. There is no racing, but participants always show keen interest in how their boats perform against others. Many of the boats were built of wood by their owners themselves, and last year seven of them were even designed by their builders.”