Catalina Fleet 21 - Chicago
Region
FleetSheet Newsletter
June2001
June 2001
COAST GUARD RESCUES
The June General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19,
2001 at the Burnham Park Yacht Club.
Steve Cabral, Chief Warrant Officer, U. S. Coast Guard, Wilmette-Calumet Harbor Station
will be our speaker. Chief Cabral has 23 years of experience with the Coast Guard and has
served from coast to coast.
Cabral has been asked to discuss the options and methods of search and rescue used by the
USCG including towing and what is necessary for a safe tow-both when you are towing or
being towed.
This will be an interesting program. Have you ever encountered a boat on the lake that
needed a tow but you were hesitant to get involved because you didn't want to damage
either boat. Or have you ever sat there waiting to be towed? Come for answers to all those
towing questions: How long should a tow line be? To what should I attach the tow line?
Does it make any difference where the tow line is attached when I am the towing boat?
Cabral will also address mayday situations and what course of action to follow.
The meeting will be held at the Burnham Park Yacht Club located at 1500 S. Linn White
Drive. Follow the signs to Meigs Field. All are welcome to arrive early and enjoy dinner
at the club beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you plan to have dinner, please call the Yacht Club
at 312-427-4664 for reservations. Tell them you are part of the Catalina group. The
program and business meeting will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m.
We are working with the Park District to allow parking in the gated lot next to the Yacht
Club. Someone from the Fleet will be on hand to direct you to possible parking spots.
Alternatives to the gated lot are
Meigs Field and the pay lot. We'll find a space for you somewhere!
A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMODORE
At long last, the days are warmer, the sun has been shining and it
finally seems as if sailing season has arrived. The season's first outing had a delayed
start due to what else - the weather. Saturday of Memorial Day weekend was rainy and
chilly - so the BBQ was moved to Sunday, which although chilly was not raining (except for
a brief shower). My thanks to everyone who made it a success. The Chili Outing, held on
June 9th is behind us and like last year, brought summer with it. Blue skies and plenty of
sunshine. Maybe we ought to call every outing a "Chili Outing" and try to fool
Mother Nature.
There have been two changes to the Outings schedule: the Ice Cream
Social will be held on Saturday, June 30th at Burnham Harbor. We will be able to tie
up/raft off along the Yacht Club's new docks. Look for details in this newsletter. We have
added an outing at Jackson Park which is hosting its own JazzFest on August 25th.
Information will be forthcoming.
Volunteering your time and talents in hosting or assisting at outings
in your harbor is a good way to get to know other Fleet members and help is always
welcome. Participation, whether by serving on committees, hosting or working on outings,
or sharing boat and sailing knowledge and skills is the heart of the Fleet. I have seen
and experienced it time and again.
I encourage all of you to attend the next general meeting to be held on
June 19th at Burnham Park Yacht Club, which will be presented by the U.S. Coast Guard on
what to do in an emergency and how to safely abandon ship. This is something we all should
know. Our program committee has been working hard to present programs which are
informative and entertaining. If there is anything you would like to see in the way of a
program, please contact Mike Walsh, Roger Suhar or Rick Bowald. Suggestions are always
welcome.
Commodore
Jan Byrd
MEMBERSHIP
The new directories have been distributed. Please check your
entry to make certain the information is correct. If changes are needed, please contact
Pat Shereyk or Karen Walsh.
OUTINGS
The Outings Schedule is well underway and we hope you have
already made at least one event.
Rain or shine they usually happen in some form
or another. Look for flyers in this issue for the Burnham Park Ice Cream Social on June 30
(a date change from the original schedule),
the July 7 & 8 trip to Michigan City, the Michigan Shores Cruise and the Mac Bay
Getaway. Join us!
Michigan Shores Cruise/Mac Bay Getaway VIII
Plan to sail or arrive by land yacht to the annual
Catalina Rendezvous at Lake Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, Friday, July 13 through Sunday, July
15. (Registration and Schedule of Events included with this newsletter.)
If you are planning to drive, the list of available hotels was printed in last month's
FleetSheet. If you plan to sail, call Eldean's at 616-335-5843 a day or two before you
plan to arrive and inquire about dock space.Ask for Roger Eldean and tell him you are part
of the Rendezvous group. He will try to accommodate you, but be aware that they are 100%
full with rented slips. Don't forget to mail your Rendezvous registration before June 25
and take advantage of the "Early Bird" special. A few boats are planning to sail
from Chicago to Lake Macatawa (Holland, Michigan) on Friday, July 13. Others may want to
head for Michigan City on July 6 or 7 and then head up the coast for Holland. Call Pat
Shereyk (708-645-1957) if you are interested in joining either group.
OUTINGS RECAP
Memorial Day
Howdy and a Big Ol' Texas Thank You to all who brought their foulies, umbrellas,
raincoats, appetities and camaraderie to the Annual Memorial Day Outing hosted by Team
Effort. It was one of the wettest Memorial Day Fleet Outings in history! It rained so hard
on Saturday, that the BBQ was postponed 'til Sunday when it didn't rain quite so hard.
Joining us under the awnings were Allegro, Audrey Too; Bearoness, Carpe Diem, Cash Flow,
Chaos, Charisma, Duet, Fast Forward, Finesse, Morning Star, Perfect Song, Rhapsody, Sea
Horse, Serendipity, Shibumi-Maru, Tranquility, Ultimate Therapy, Ventura, Weal Sea, Wind
Dancer, Windlord, and Wun-Len. Having theirs "to go" were Summer Mink and Weak
Moment
Thanks to all our outstanding (in the rain) members who supported this event. All of us
together provide the fun for our sailing season.
RACING
By Pat Reynolds
The Hammond Yacht Club held its Silver Cup Regatta on June 2 & 3 in conjunction with
the Jackson Park and Indiana Harbor Yacht Clubs. Each Yacht Club sponsors a regatta
consisting of three races each and the overall winner of all three regattas holds the
South End Series trophy of its club for one year. This year Fleet 21 was ably represented
by two boats. William Willer's Champagne Morning, a Catalina 25 out of Pastrick Marina in
East Chicago representing Indiana Harbor YC finished 5th overall in some challenging winds
and waves. Karizmaddie, a Catalina 320 out of Hammond, finished 2nd overall.
The next regatta in the series will be held at Jackson Park on July 7th and 8th and any
Fleet 21 members of any of the three clubs are invited. Catalinas can fly!
Also the Lake Michigan Sail Race Fleet (LMRSF) Area III will hold its Chicago to Waukegan
race on June 23rd and 24th for all those interested in a nice sail and a great party at
the yacht club on Saturday night.
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Get a Catalina "Battle Flag" 3' x 4'6"…$45.00
For sale at Fleet Outings & Meetings
or call Hazel Luther
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RIGGING & EQUIPMENT
Dr. Nautical Here
Are you aware that there is an item on the market than informs you when it is time to go
to the pump out? Tank Watch is an electrical mechanical device that has a micro float
switch that turns a light on to let you know you have only 3" of empty tank left.
$34.49 in the Defender catalog, it's item #500373 000312. Phone 800-628-8225 or go to www.defender.com.
The installation is relatively easy. Drill a 5/8" hole on top of tank, insert float
switch, fasten with 4 screws, locate Tank Watch light someplace in the head or on the
control panel. Hook one wire from switch to one side of light and the second wire from
switch to a positive 12 volt wire or source. Bring a negative wire from the panel or
negative source and attach it to the other side of light. Job done. If you have any
questions, please call me at 708-974-4932.
By not emptying your holding tank soon enough, you run the risk of a couple of things
happening. Sailing with a full holding tank on a hard port tack could cause the holding
tank contents to plug your vent. When that happens and you use the head and pump you will
build up pressure and a hose fitting could blow loose (not a good thing). If the vent is
plugged and you try to pump out you will not be able to draw a vacuum and you could
collapse the tank. You need the vent to be open so you can replace the air in the tank as
you pump out the contents.
Know Your Boat's Equipment
*The Anchor : Any of a number of heavy hook shaped devices that are dropped overboard on
the end of rope or chain and are designed to hold a vessel in place until (A) the wind
exceeds 2 knots, (B) captain and crew depart (C) 3 a.m. It will hold fast, however, at the
time you try to retrieve it.
Till next time,
Jack Bretall
Dr. Nautical
I make boat calls
P.S. If I don't know the answer, I will make one up.
BUY/TRADE/SELL
FOR SALE: Navico Wheel Pilot.
Model WP5000 with pedestal mounting bracket. $150. Call Branson Stone 219-922-2767.
FOR SALE: The world's most versatile
sailboat-a 1974 Catalina 22! 3 sails: main, 110 jib, 150 genoa; VHF marine radio; Air
Guide model 70 compass; newer cockpit cushions; knotmeter. Adventure dinghy; trailer; 1997
15 hp Mercury easy-electric start motor. Ready to sail. Forget the wait at the
crane--launches easily from a boat ramp! Star dock mooring at Montrose harbor and
economical winter storage also available. Asking $6800. Call Dave Nordin at (630) 871-4195
(home) or (630) 420-2900 (work).
Fleet members may list items they want to sell, trade, or buy in this column without any
charge.
Items listed run for three months, unless you
notify me that you want the ad to continue.
Send listings to Fleet Sheet Editor, 306 Linden Street, Glen Ellyn, Il 60137
Fax 630-668-8950
email : deare @megsinet. net.
Phone: 630-469-6117
Listings must be received by the 1st of the month.