Catalina Fleet 21 - Chicago
Region
FleetSheet Newsletter
May 2004
Our May General Meeting is Thursday, May 20th, at the Columbia Yacht Club in Monroe/DuSable Harbor. That’s a new date (the meeting is on Thursday) and a new place—Columbia Yacht Club is the big ship anchored in the north end of Monroe Harbor. This meeting is a trial run—will it work better as our regular meeting place than Burnham? The only way to find out, is to attend and then let us know what you think. Enclosed in this newsletter is a brief questionnaire that we ask you to complete after you attend the meeting. We want your input. The speaker for the evening is Jerry Metzger, Westrec regional manager. Jerry promises to bring us up to date on what’s happening in Chicago’s harbors. He’ll answer questions you may have. We’ll also distribute the new membership directories.
The evening at Columbia works as follows: arrive early and find a parking space in the Field Harbor Parking garage (a map is enclosed) or park in the underground Monroe lot. You can get your Field Harbor parking ticket validated at Columbia and parking is then $3.00. Enter the ship and enjoy a dinner in either the bar or the dining room. Make your way to the upstairs meeting room by 8 p.m. when we will start the meeting.
May is also the official start of our fleet sailing season. We’ll have our traditional margarita party on Saturday, May 29, at Burnham Harbor followed by a casual dinner at the yacht club. A flyer with all the details is in this newsletter. You’ll also find a complete outings schedule. Sail, drive, bike, or walk…but try to get to every outing. It’s the best way to find out what our club is all about---fun!
A MESSAGE FROM THE
COMMODORE
Our launch day came and on April 22nd in northerly winds we set full sails and headed back to Chicago. How good it felt after seven months to feel the motion of the boat beneath us with the cold air washing over us. Dressed in winter gear we made it back to the city in 6.5 hrs. Once in our slip, the peacefulness of the harbor and the city lights all around us said "Welcome Home.” I love coming back in April. The docks are empty, the air is cold and the cabin is warm. We snuggle up, play cards, read books and wait for the winds to bring in our friends. Slowly they come. Hats off to each of you. We all know the work it takes to get a boat ready to launch. It's not an easy job, but the reward of all this hard work is being back in the harbor looking forward to another beautiful sailing season. Great job and welcome back.
Now we're in full swing and soon the Margarita party will be upon us. The Margarita Marys promise another exciting year-opening event. Don't forget Fund Raising will be there with a raffle that you're going to want to win. Come and meet Winthrop. My new four- legged sailing friend will be there making his debut. It will also be the perfect time for you to give me feed back on our potential new meeting place, Columbia Yacht Club.
That's right. This month on the 20th of May we meet at Columbia Yacht Club for the first time. This is a trial meeting and it's very important that as many members can come as possible. I want to know how your experience was good or bad. Was parking good? Was food and service good? Was the price right? How was the sound and noise level during the meeting? Take notes if you must, but be prepared to give me feedback. We want to make the right decision to guide the future of the club and only you can be the one to help us do this. So please plan on being there to have a voice.
At this May meeting you will also be giving the opportunity to have a voice
on an issue that is coming up that will possibly change boating, as we know it.
A new Mandatory Law may go into effect that would require boaters to take an
eight hour class, pass a test and receive a license in order to operate a boat,
power or sail. We will have on display the law as written for you to read so
that you will be informed as to what you are voting on. We will also have voting
sheets for you to sign either for or against this new law. Be an active
member in the boating community and voice your opinion. Experience the food and
atmosphere of Columbia Yacht Club and vote on the new law. It's an exciting
month for Catalina members. Until next
time.
Fair winds and smooth
sailing
Deborah Ruxton,
Commodore
CYA REPORT
Lori
Lauraitis
News from recent CYA meetings includes:
Lighting of Monroe
breakwall is to begin this spring.
Everyone should have received a copy of
the Yachting in Chicago magazine. If you did not, contact me.
Requested
input on a proposed Mandatory Boating Safety Education Law (more details at our
general meeting)
Boaters Pac now has 150 members.
BUY/TRADE/
SELL
Fleet members may list items they want to sell, trade,
or buy in this column without any charge.
Send listings to Fleet Sheet
Editor, 306 Linden Street, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137. Fax 630-668-8950 email: deare30@sbcglobal. net.
Phone: 630-469-6117
FOR SALE: 1986 Catalina 34
Audrey Too. Fin keel, new diesel with only 46 hours. A/C, refrigeration ,
new upholstery by Catalina, dodger, bimini, custom cabin doors, stereo, steel
cradle. Full instruments including speed, depth, wind, and GPS. Roller
furling, Dutchman on main. In water, Burnham Harbor slip. A beautiful boat
in excellent condition. $58,000. Call Audrey and David Weissman
847-675-3305.
FOR SALE: 1983 Catalina 30,
New custom cushions, new life lines, phenomenal interior single line furling
genoa, and much more. Has been very well maintained. $26,000 price will go
up in June at the slip. No blisters. Joe Refkin 219 769-2222 days or
219 865-0878 after 9pm.
FOR SALE: Lazy Jacks
system. Sail Cradle MK2 by Sail Care. Model 303 for a Catalina
30.New. Includes complete instructions.
Bought at Strictly Sail.
Never installed.
$50.00. Call Dave DeAre at 630-469-6117. email to deare30@sbcglobal.net.
OUTINGS
Let
the fun begin! Our outings schedule is in
this issue, but we can
still add more! Just give someone from the outings committee a call.
ONE LUMP OR TWO?
(Reprinted from the Chicago Tribune)
FUND
RAISING
Linda Kleitz & Mary Beth Cybul
We
started our year of fundraising with a raffle at the last meeting for a BBQ
basket of goodies. Included was bbq tools, charcoal, mit, marinades and
more. Our winner was Richard Roberts, a new member who also agreed to be
harbor captain for Montrose Harbor (nothing like jumping right in! way to
go Robert). At the Margarita Party on May 29 we’ll raffle off a margarita
–themed prize. Chances are $2 each or 3 for $5. The money goes to
help offset the cost of our November banquet. If you have ideas for future
fundraisers, please let us know. We also have t-shirts for sale.
Long-sleeve are $12 and short sleeved are $10. Our 30th anniversary
calendars are a wonderful picture review of the last 30 years. They sell
for $12. We also have 3 battle flags left at $45. These are great to
fly when we get together at outings or just at dockside to let othrs know you
belong to the Fleet.
RIGGING
&
EQUIPMENT
From Chicago to
the Keys
Scott Welty & Sue Budde
To the Readers:
In June of 2005 we plan to sail Enee Marie, our 1978
C30, from Chicago to the Florida Keys and hopefully beyond. This series of
articles will describe some of the improvements and modifications we’ve made in
preparation for this trip. We hope you enjoy these articles and please know that
we are certainly not the last word on how to do these projects.
New Dodger Windows
When is a window not a window? When it is so fogged from years in the sun that you can’t see through it anymore! This was the case with the plastic on our old dodger. Entire new dodgers are expensive! For new frame and canvas you can pay on the order of $1000. Our dodger is still serviceable but we needed the windows replaced.
We started by talking to our friends at Sailrite. This is the company that sells kits for making your own sails which we did once on our old Chrysler 22. That’s a fun project too but can tax even a solid marriage! At any rate we talked to the Sailrite man at the Chicago Boat show and he showed us how to do it and sold us a couple of rolls of the plastic . They have two grades: Plastipane and Strataglass. The Plastipane is cheaper and is the traditional stuff you usually see in dodgers ($99 for 53”x110” roll) The strataglass is PVC and lasts longer and is more expensive ($175 for same size roll). Since our dodger itself will not live another 2 seasons we went with two rolls of the cheaper stuff.
First, we laid the new plastic on top of the window to be replaced and traced around the border with an overhead transparency marker. You want the new window to be at least one-half inch bigger than the opening. Now you cut along the line you’ve drawn. The stuff cuts with good scissors or razor. Tape the new plastic to the INSIDE of the window with double sided basting tape. Now you sew the plastic to the material with the old window in place. We used Sue’s old machine and nylon thread. We made a double row of straight stitches, one inside the other all the way around a window. By leaving the old window in, you force the canvas to keep its shape while you sew. It would be great if you could always be stitching from the inside of the dodger. That way you have the protection of the old window on the bed of the machine. Sometimes, however, you end up with trying to jam too much material under the arm of the machine and you are forced to flip the whole thing over and make some stitches from the outside. Once you’ve stitched all the way around you use a very sharp Exacto type knife and cut out the old window from the front side. You can angle the knife up and under the hem so that none of the old plastic shows.
So, with a little patience and a couple of afternoons and about $200, WE CAN
SEE AGAIN!
Here’s some info regarding:
SailriteSailrite
Enterprises, Inc.
4506 S. State Rd. 9 - 57
Churubusco, IN
46723
800-348-2769 Tollfree
260-693-2242 Local
260-693-2246
Fax
email: sailrite@sailrite.com