End of the Season

Guys, Went to the harbor Thursday, took the sails off, removed the running rigging and lower shrouds, helped a fellow clubmember unstep his Tartan 10, and had my mast down an hour later. Remove spreaders, etc. and it's up on the storage rack for the winter. Move the Cal back to it's slip, it's almost ashamed to be seen without a mast. Friday morning, arrive, fill the gas tank, motor to the pump-out and take care of that, and at 10:58am we leave Jackson Park Outer Harbor for the last time this year. The lake is lumpy, but sunny and warm and an hour later we are clearing the Calumet breakwater, enroute to the Little Calumet River, and to our storage yard. The river is quiet, we only see a couple of barges working until we see a saltie ahead, being pushed by a tug. We approach slowly, then finally see that the tug is positioning him to turn around at a turning basin. I duck his stern and we are again on our way downriver. The O'Brien lock is our next stop. We arrive, signal the lockmaster and 20 minutes later the gates begin to open. This lock is one of three designed to keep rivers from flowing into Lake Michigan. Originally designed to keep the sewage flowing toward the Mississippi instead of into Lake Michigan. They still do that. Easy lockage this day, we're out and only a 30 minute trip to the yard. Tie up at the dock and we're done for the year. Did I sail as much as I wanted this year? On my own boat, no. I crewed on a racing boat and pretty much raced every weekend, including the Chicago-Mackinac Race. I think next year will be family cruising. I'm done with racing, I want to enjoy my own boat. Racing is a big commitment, better suited to crew who don't own a boat. But. You do learn a lot about sailing while racing. Case in point, our last sail of the season, a week ago, Sunday and it was overcast and the wind was honking from the NE, but we were there and my brother really wanted to go, so I said what the Hell, let's go. Well, I should have reefed before we went out, but I hoisted the full main, we started sailing and I rolled out about a 3 &1/2. Well, we took off like a shot, and we were slicing through 5ft swells, and the knotmeter is saying over 7. The anemometer is pushing 20, I let the traveler down, let the sheet out, my brother is driving having the time of his life and we're cooking. Only one other boat out and he's sailing under main alone. I'm okay in these conditions because I have been there before while racing. I know the boat is fine and under control, later the wind increases and I roll up some more jib. We never did get any sun that day but we had a great afternoon. A great sail to finish the season. My confidence has come from racing. Not that racers are reckless, most are very careful. It's just that racing forces you to sail when you wouldn't just for a daysail. You learn to sail in adverse conditions. This is very helpful when you get caught in a storm while cruising. I would advise people new to sailing to think about crewing on a racing boat, one close to the size of the boat they intend to buy. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn. Regards, David Dobbs, Cal 29 411

your last two paragraphs are excellent advise! Reggie To: ca… [at] yahoogroups.comFrom: tm… [at] yahoo.comDate: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:42:50 -0700Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season Guys,Went to the harbor Thursday, took the sails off, removed the running rigging and lower shrouds, helped a fellow clubmember unstep his Tartan 10, and had my mast down an hour later. Remove spreaders, etc. and it's up on the storage rack for the winter. Move the Cal back to it's slip, it's almost ashamed to be seen without a mast. Friday morning, arrive, fill the gas tank, motor to the pump-out and take care of that, and at 10:58am we leave Jackson Park Outer Harbor for the last time this year. The lake is lumpy, but sunny and warm and an hour later we are clearing the Calumet breakwater, enroute to the Little Calumet River, and to our storage yard. The river is quiet, we only see a couple of barges working until we see a saltie ahead, being pushed by a tug. We approach slowly, then finally see that the tug is positioning him to turn around at a turning basin. I duck his stern and we are again on our way downriver. The O'Brien lock is our nextstop. We arrive, signal the lockmaster and 20 minutes later the gates begin to open. This lock is one of three designed to keep rivers from flowing into Lake Michigan. Originally designed to keep the sewage flowing toward the Mississippi instead of into Lake Michigan. They still do that. Easy lockage this day, we're out and only a 30 minute trip to the yard. Tie up at the dock and we're done for the year. Did I sail as much as I wanted this year? On my own boat, no. I crewed on a racing boat and pretty much raced every weekend, including the Chicago-Mackinac Race. I think next year will be family cruising. I'm done with racing, I want to enjoy my own boat. Racing is a big commitment, better suited to crew who don't own a boat.But. You do learn a lot about sailing while racing. Case in point, our last sail of the season, a week ago, Sunday and it was overcast and the wind was honking from the NE, but we were there and my brother really wanted to go, so I said what the Hell, let's go. Well, I should have reefed before we went out, but I hoisted the full main, we started sailing and I rolled out about a 3 &1/2. Well, we took off like a shot, and we were slicing through 5ft swells, and the knotmeter is saying over 7. The anemometer is pushing 20, I let the traveler down, let the sheet out, my brother is driving having the time of his life and we're cooking. Only one other boat out and he's sailing under main alone. I'm okay in these conditions because I have been there before while racing. I know the boat is fine and under control, later the wind increases and I roll up some more jib. We never did get any sun that day but we had a great afternoon.A great sail to finish the season. My confidence has come from racing. Not that racers are reckless, most are very careful. It's just that racing forces you to sail when you wouldn't just for a daysail. You learn to sail in adverse conditions. This is very helpful when you get caught in a storm while cruising.I would advise people new to sailing to think about crewing on a racing boat, one close to the size of the boat they intend to buy. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn.Regards,David Dobbs, Cal 29 411

Or crewing on any boat for that matter. I learned quite a bit from the 3 captains I raced with before I ever owned my own boat. But I'm finding there's a difference between being crew and being the person in charge. *That's* where I'm learning to build my confidence now. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, david dobbs <tmft567@...> wrote: > A great sail to finish the season. My confidence has come from racing. Not that racers are reckless, most are very careful. It's just that racing forces you to sail when you wouldn't just for a daysail. You learn to sail in adverse conditions. This is very helpful when you get caught in a storm while cruising. > I would advise people new to sailing to think about crewing on a racing boat, one close to the size of the boat they intend to buy. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn.

I own a Cal 2-29 as of about 4 years ago and have been racing on Stans 29 all of that time. Even though I have been sailing all of my life, I have learned more about my own boat by racing with Stan, than I would have cruzing on my boat for a decade. ----- Original Message ----- From: amracel To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 4:15 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: End of the Season Or crewing on any boat for that matter. I learned quite a bit from the 3 captains I raced with before I ever owned my own boat. But I'm finding there's a difference between being crew and being the person in charge. *That's* where I'm learning to build my confidence now. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, david dobbs <tmft567@...> wrote: > A great sail to finish the season. My confidence has come from racing. Not that racers are reckless, most are very careful. It's just that racing forces you to sail when you wouldn't just for a daysail. You learn to sail in adverse conditions. This is very helpful when you get caught in a storm while cruising. > I would advise people new to sailing to think about crewing on a racing boat, one close to the size of the boat they intend to buy. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn. __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 3517 (20081013) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

david dobbs wrote: > > Case in point, our last sail of the season, a week ago, Sunday and it > was overcast and the wind was honking from the NE, but we were there > and my brother really wanted to go, so I said what the Hell, let's go. > Well, I should have reefed before we went out, but I hoisted the full > main, we started sailing and I rolled out about a 3 &1/2. Well, we > took off like a shot, and we were slicing through 5ft swells, and the > knotmeter is saying over 7. The anemometer is pushing 20, I let the > traveler down, let the sheet out, my brother is driving having the > time of his life and we're cooking. Only one other boat out and he's > sailing under main alone. > My Cal is hauled for the season but my other boat is in until next Monday. Saturday I had to finish painting my mom's garage, doing it while the weather holds, and Sunday the forecast was for S and SE winds, 5-15 knots. By this time of year, 15 knots can mean "wow, it's freezing out here" or "whee, what a great sail." It depends on many factors. But when Sunday arrived, there was no wind, none, in the morning. Finally there was some bit of breeze, and the weather instruments on the Gravelly Shoal Light about 35 NM out in the Bay said 6 knots breeze, so I drove to the boat. In my sweatshirt, I was way too hot at the marina, but after powering down the river to the Bay it was just right. The Saginaw Bay is a big shallow bay and it changes temp faster than the big deep waters of the Great Lakes, so it was cooler out there. And there was wind, very light but quite steady. It was never more than 5 knots but I hoisted my great big 47 year old genoa and we ghosted along steadily at 3-4 knots. Never once did I sit there with the sails slatting, and for a fall day on the Great Lakes, this was just right. Steady breeze, steady boat speed, warm air, easy sailing. No speed thrills, but I'll save that for midsummer or maybe for iceboating season, thank you. It was such an easy sail that I had a chance to calculate the per-mile cost of sailing the boat this past summer. Do not perform this exercise, folks, unless you have a great love of sailing (I do). It is not for the faint-hearted. Chris Campbell

David -- Well spoken and sage advice. My experiences are much the same.... Wilkie From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of david dobbs Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 8:43 PM To: ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season Guys, Went to the harbor Thursday, took the sails off, removed the running rigging and lower shrouds, helped a fellow clubmember unstep his Tartan 10, and had my mast down an hour later. Remove spreaders, etc. and it's up on the storage rack for the winter. Move the Cal back to it's slip, it's almost ashamed to be seen without a mast. Friday morning, arrive, fill the gas tank, motor to the pump-out and take care of that, and at 10:58am we leave Jackson Park Outer Harbor for the last time this year. The lake is lumpy, but sunny and warm and an hour later we are clearing the Calumet breakwater, enroute to the Little Calumet River, and to our storage yard. The river is quiet, we only see a couple of barges working <snip>

David, I realized that I kind of glossed over taking a Cal 29 mast down. My club has a "gin pole" that we use for stepping and unstepping. Actually our club steward operates the pole and directs the crew. It's a heavy mast and you really need to know what you're doing. We can handle most masts, and recently stepped a Valiant 43, a visitor from Alaska who was on his way up the lake and to the St. Lawrence. Anyway, it's $40 charge for club members, regardless of length. Non-members pay by the foot. There are some advantages to yacht club membership! David Dobbs Cal 29 411 --- On Tue, 10/14/08, Wilkie <wi… [at] mariposasailing.com> wrote: > From: Wilkie <wi… [at] mariposasailing.com> > Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 9:55 AM > David -- Well spoken and sage advice. My experiences are > much the same.... > > > Wilkie > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf > Of david dobbs > Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 8:43 PM > To: ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season > > Guys, > Went to the harbor Thursday, took the sails off, removed > the running rigging > and lower shrouds, helped a fellow clubmember unstep his > Tartan 10, and had > my mast down an hour later. Remove spreaders, etc. and > it's up on the > storage rack for the winter. Move the Cal back to it's > slip, it's almost > ashamed to be seen without a mast. Friday morning, arrive, > fill the gas > tank, motor to the pump-out and take care of that, and at > 10:58am we leave > Jackson Park Outer Harbor for the last time this year. The > lake is lumpy, > but sunny and warm and an hour later we are clearing the > Calumet breakwater, > enroute to the Little Calumet River, and to our storage > yard. The river is > quiet, we only see a couple of barges working > > <snip>

use of our gantry for stepping and unstepping masts is free to members. advantages. Reggie To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.comFrom: tm… [at] yahoo.comDate: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:21:49 -0700Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season(Wilkie) David,I realized that I kind of glossed over taking a Cal 29 mast down. My club has a "gin pole" that we use for stepping and unstepping. Actually our club steward operates the pole and directs the crew. It's a heavy mast and you really need to know what you're doing. We can handle most masts, and recently stepped a Valiant 43, a visitor from Alaska who was on his way up the lake and to the St. Lawrence. Anyway, it's $40 charge for club members, regardless of length. Non-members pay by the foot. There are some advantages to yacht club membership! David DobbsCal 29 411--- On Tue, 10/14/08, Wilkie <wi… [at] mariposasailing.com> wrote:> From: Wilkie <wi… [at] mariposasailing.com>> Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 9:55 AM> David -- Well spoken and sage advice. My experiences are> much the same....> > > Wilkie> > -----Original Message-----> From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf> Of david dobbs> Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 8:43 PM> To: ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the Season> > Guys,> Went to the harbor Thursday, took the sails off, removed> the running rigging> and lower shrouds, helped a fellow clubmember unstep his> Tartan 10, and had> my mast down an hour later. Remove spreaders, etc. and> it's up on the> storage rack for the winter. Move the Cal back to it's> slip, it's almost> ashamed to be seen without a mast. Friday morning, arrive,> fill the gas> tank, motor to the pump-out and take care of that, and at> 10:58am we leave> Jackson Park Outer Harbor for the last time this year. The> lake is lumpy,> but sunny and warm and an hour later we are clearing the> Calumet breakwater,> enroute to the Little Calumet River, and to our storage> yard. The river is> quiet, we only see a couple of barges working > > <snip>

The weather has finally eased here in Chicago. Going to the harbor tomorrow, taking the sails off, boom and backstay adjuster. Probably taking the mast down Saturday or Sunday. We have a rack at my club so I don't have to take it with me to the yard. I can't do mast up storage at my yard, but that's okay. They're great guys whose respect I had to earn. Took a couple of years. Their Dad and Uncle started the yard in 1942/43. Then their dad went off to WWII as a SeaBee. Sometimes I go to the yard in the dead of winter, just to check on the boat and have some fun conversation. You never know who'll be there, and the coffee pot is always full. Rentner Marine in Chicago. David Dobbs CAL29 411, soon to become a powerboat!

Well, it's done. The mast came down today, took about twenty minutes. I had the lowers off and the pin on the forestay ready to pull. Pulled into the gin pole slip, the steward attached the pole line, raised the tackle to the spreaders, took up some tension, I pulled the backstay, then the forestay/furler, then the cap shrouds, he raised it up, I disconnected the VHF, and he started lowering. Almost done, remove the spreaders, wind instrument and antenna, bungee the shrouds, and move to the mast storage rack. My 29 is now a powerboat. My club has a good sized storage rack, winter storage $25. Mast unstepping $50. My timing was bad today; I was behind a friend with a big Shannon ketch. Biggest mast in the club. He has to go up the mizzen to remove the stay to the main mast! That one took a couple hours. By the way, he paid the same, $50. Non-members pay by the foot. I gave the steward a nice tip, he deserves it. It's hard to get good help, but he's the best, been with us since the mid-nineties. Always takes his time and makes sure everyone is safe.David Dobbs CAL29 411

That's a pretty cool process David, and to have a mast storage rack! Is it accessible if you wanted to work on mast? I added spreader lights an a antenna on top of mine last winter, re-wired it an gave it 3 coats of wax. That was my first time having it down. Mine needed that care badly! Do you set your boat on the hard too? Bobby G > On Oct 16, 2016, at 3:01 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > Well, it's done. The mast came down today, took about twenty minutes. I had the lowers off and the pin on the forestay ready to pull. Pulled into the gin pole slip, the steward attached the pole line, raised the tackle to the spreaders, took up some tension, I pulled the backstay, then the forestay/furler, then the cap shrouds, he raised it up, I disconnected the VHF, and he started lowering. Almost done, remove the spreaders, wind instrument and antenna, bungee the shrouds, and move to the mast storage rack. My 29 is now a powerboat. My club has a good sized storage rack, winter storage $25. Mast unstepping $50. My timing was bad today; I was behind a friend with a big Shannon ketch. Biggest mast in the club. He has to go up the mizzen to remove the stay to the main mast! That one took a couple hours. By the way, he paid the same, $50. Non-members pay by the foot. I gave the steward a nice tip, he deserves it. It's hard to get good help, but he's the best, been with us since the mid-nineties. Always takes his time and makes sure everyone is safe. > David Dobbs CAL29 411 > >

On 10/16/2016 9:01 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Well, it's done. The mast came down today, took about twenty minutes. It's a big bonus to have such a predictable process. There are always lots of anxieties surrounding operations like that. You do have locks to navigate, as I recall, so you have some things to worry over. On my other boat, the mast came down for the 49th time under my care, and it still makes me a little nervous. Being a little nervous makes me organized and prepared, however. The yard guys are really good, and they like my old boat. Of the 49 times, the first was done without mechanical assistance. The mast is hinged, with a massive stainless boot on the mast and an equally massive bronze deck mount and a 7/8" or so hinge pin. We figured we could just lower it ourselves, using a halyard. Easy! We did not calculate the obvious: (1) the spruce mast is heavy, and (2) as the angle of the halyard to the mast becomes more acute,the mast wins. Disaster was averted, but barely. I tore my shoulder and it took a month to recover, and I cut my hand when we broke the masthead light lens. Suddenly paying the yard to do it seemed like a bargain. The yard has mast racks, but I have special dispensation to store the mast alongside my boat so I can attend to varnish in the spring. This winter the boat gets a new bronze centerboard to replace the old steel one. We'll wait to see what the yard bill is for their labor on that before spending any money on sails this year. It was the 18th time this year on the Cal 20--how time flies--and it's a non-commercial process so the major anxiety is finding a helper. This fall's only accomplishment so far has been refinishing the interior trim on the overhead around the main hatch. I've also repaired my dinghy--some more epoxy and fiberglass to repair damage from when the tree fell on it last year, followed by interior painting and varnishing the mahogany seat/thwart. Oh, and I did the annual vinegar treatment. The boat acquires a ring of some sort of calcium, hard-water deposit about 18" up from the waterline each years as she lies on the mooring. Vinegar removes it quickly & without much effort. Next spring I'll do the wax. Chris Campbell

Bobby,Yes it spends winter on the hard, outside. Good yard, the owners do most of the work and they keep their eyes on the boats. Good security, no break ins.David Dobbs CAL29 411 On Monday, October 17, 2016 8:53 AM, "ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: On 10/16/2016 9:01 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: Well, it's done. The mast came down today, took about twenty minutes. It's a big bonus to have such a predictable process. There are always lots of anxieties surrounding operations like that. You do have locks to navigate, as I recall, so you have some things to worry over. On my other boat, the mast came down for the 49th time under my care, and it still makes me a little nervous. Being a little nervous makes me organized and prepared, however. The yard guys are really good, and they like my old boat. Of the 49 times, the first was done without mechanical assistance. The mast is hinged, with a massive stainless boot on the mast and an equally massive bronze deck mount and a 7/8" or so hinge pin. We figured we could just lower it ourselves, using a halyard. Easy! We did not calculate the obvious: (1) the spruce mast is heavy, and (2) as the angle of the halyard to the mast becomes more acute,the mast wins. Disaster was averted, but barely. I tore my shoulder and it took a month to recover, and I cut my hand when we broke the masthead light lens. Suddenly paying the yard to do it seemed like a bargain. The yard has mast racks, but I have special dispensation to store the mast alongside my boat so I can attend to varnish in the spring. This winter the boat gets a new bronze centerboard to replace the old steel one. We'll wait to see what the yard bill is for their labor on that before spending any money on sails this year. It was the 18th time this year on the Cal 20--how time flies--and it's a non-commercial process so the major anxiety is finding a helper. This fall's only accomplishment so far has been refinishing the interior trim on the overhead around the main hatch. I've also repaired my dinghy--some more epoxy and fiberglass to repair damage from when the tree fell on it last year, followed by interior painting and varnishing the mahogany seat/thwart. Oh, and I did the annual vinegar treatment. The boat acquires a ring of some sort of calcium, hard-water deposit about 18" up from the waterline each years as she lies on the mooring. Vinegar removes it quickly & without much effort. Next spring I'll do the wax. Chris Campbell

Took the sails off yesterday, folded them and stored below. Removed the running rigging and the boom, backstay adjuster also. It's ready to be unstepped, maybe this weekend. River trip to be decided, I like nice weather for that, so it's a day by day call. No rush, that's why I get ready early, sometimes October gets real nasty here. Once the weather pattern shifts to the north it's over. I don't wait. The yard is ready, I just call them the night before, leave a message and call again when we clear the lock, it's 20 minutes to the yard from there, and it becomes a land creature for the winter. They have it out in 10 minutes or so, pressure wash the bottom, lower it on the cradle and move it to it's storage location. Done.David Dobbs CAL29 411

Hi David, Life doled-out some unexpected/unwelcome surprises this year. We didn’t launch until July 30th. So, we’re sticking it out until the end of October, even if I have to break ice between the harbor and yard ! From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 5:36 PM To: Yahoogroups Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the season Took the sails off yesterday, folded them and stored below. Removed the running rigging and the boom, backstay adjuster also. It's ready to be unstepped, maybe this weekend. River trip to be decided, I like nice weather for that, so it's a day by day call. No rush, that's why I get ready early, sometimes October gets real nasty here. Once the weather pattern shifts to the north it's over. I don't wait. The yard is ready, I just call them the night before, leave a message and call again when we clear the lock, it's 20 minutes to the yard from there, and it becomes a land creature for the winter. They have it out in 10 minutes or so, pressure wash the bottom, lower it on the cradle and move it to it's storage location. Done. David Dobbs CAL29 411 This e-mail may contain privileged or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient: (1) you may not disclose, use, distribute, copy or rely upon this message or attachment(s); and (2) please notify the sender by reply e-mail, and then delete this message and its attachment(s). Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and its affiliates disclaim all liability for any errors, omissions, corruption or virus in this message or any attachments.

On 9/27/2017 6:35 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Took the sails off yesterday, folded them and stored below. Removed > the running rigging and the boom, backstay adjuster also. It's ready > to be unstepped, maybe this weekend. River trip to be decided, I like > nice weather for that, so it's a day by day call. No rush, that's why > I get ready early, sometimes October gets real nasty here. Once the > weather pattern shifts to the north it's over. I don't wait. The > yard is ready, I just call them the night before, leave a message and > call again when we clear the lock, it's 20 minutes to the yard from > there, and it becomes a land creature for the winter. They have it > out in 10 minutes or so, pressure wash the bottom, lower it on the > cradle and move it to it's storage location. Done. > David Dobbs CAL29 411 > David has it right on the weather and our sailing season on the Great Lakes. My Cal 20 comes out early (Sept. 14 this year) because the days get too short for a working guy to go sailing. The other boat lives in a marina so it's not exposed to storms and is a weekend vessel for sailing. I'm headed off to Spain for the first 2 weeks of Oct. so the question was whether to haul before or after. The usual time is right in the middle. I opted for after because that leaves one more weekend to sail and to do the unrigging chores David described. Let's hope for a pleasant late October around Michigan. Yeah, we can haul when it's wet and cold, but it's much better when the sun is shining. I've been hauling this boat for 50 years and the Cal 20 for 19, and it still makes me nervous. There are all the what-ifs. The process almost always goes easily and as planned, maybe because I worry about it and get all the controllable factors under control. Chris Campbell > >

I want to invite you storage boat folks to join us in our Frostbite races if you visit Annapolis over the winter. I can get you a ride. Races are Sundays in Nov, Dec, Feb, and March. (Sponsor club - AYC - is closed Sundays in January.) Of course, you might have to help prep the boat. And maybe bring your foulies and thermies. But other than that, it’s a winter wonderland. Of course, if it freezes over, we just stay at the bar. Cheers Charlie Annapolis Cal 25 From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2017 9:54 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com; david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] End of the season On 9/27/2017 6:35 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com <mailto:tm… [at] yahoo.com> [Cal_Boats] wrote: Took the sails off yesterday, folded them and stored below. Removed the running rigging and the boom, backstay adjuster also. It's ready to be unstepped, maybe this weekend. River trip to be decided, I like nice weather for that, so it's a day by day call. No rush, that's why I get ready early, sometimes October gets real nasty here. Once the weather pattern shifts to the north it's over. I don't wait. The yard is ready, I just call them the night before, leave a message and call again when we clear the lock, it's 20 minutes to the yard from there, and it becomes a land creature for the winter. They have it out in 10 minutes or so, pressure wash the bottom, lower it on the cradle and move it to it's storage location. Done. David Dobbs CAL29 411 David has it right on the weather and our sailing season on the Great Lakes. My Cal 20 comes out early (Sept. 14 this year) because the days get too short for a working guy to go sailing. The other boat lives in a marina so it's not exposed to storms and is a weekend vessel for sailing. I'm headed off to Spain for the first 2 weeks of Oct. so the question was whether to haul before or after. The usual time is right in the middle. I opted for after because that leaves one more weekend to sail and to do the unrigging chores David described. Let's hope for a pleasant late October around Michigan. Yeah, we can haul when it's wet and cold, but it's much better when the sun is shining. I've been hauling this boat for 50 years and the Cal 20 for 19, and it still makes me nervous. There are all the what-ifs. The process almost always goes easily and as planned, maybe because I worry about it and get all the controllable factors under control. Chris Campbell

I'm with you Charlie......we get snow, ice, cold (went down to 8 degrees one day last winter), wind, etc here in the PNW but there's nothing quite like being out on the water in that crisp, clean air in February! Put a tiny wood stove, (literally the name of the company), in my Cal 2 34 yesterday to make coming in after those wintery days on the water that much more delightful! Perhaps if I make it back to the East Coast I'll look you up for those races. Faith S/V Sea Jewel Cal 2 34 Squalicum Harbor Bellingham, WA On 2017-09-28 16:05, 'Charlie Husar' hu… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > I want to invite you storage boat folks to join us in our Frostbite races if you visit Annapolis over the winter. I can get you a ride. Races are Sundays in Nov, Dec, Feb, and March. (Sponsor club - AYC - is closed Sundays in January.) > > Of course, you might have to help prep the boat. > > And maybe bring your foulies and thermies. > > But other than that, it's a winter wonderland. > > Of course, if it freezes over, we just stay at the bar. > > Cheers > > Charlie > > Annapolis > > Cal 25 > > FROM: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] > SENT: Thursday, September 28, 2017 9:54 AM > TO: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com; david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> > SUBJECT: Re: [Cal_Boats] End of the season > > On 9/27/2017 6:35 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > >> Took the sails off yesterday, folded them and stored below. Removed the running rigging and the boom, backstay adjuster also. It's ready to be unstepped, maybe this weekend. River trip to be decided, I like nice weather for that, so it's a day by day call. No rush, that's why I get ready early, sometimes October gets real nasty here. Once the weather pattern shifts to the north it's over. I don't wait. The yard is ready, I just call them the night before, leave a message and call again when we clear the lock, it's 20 minutes to the yard from there, and it becomes a land creature for the winter. They have it out in 10 minutes or so, pressure wash the bottom, lower it on the cradle and move it to it's storage location. Done. >> >> David Dobbs CAL29 411 > > David has it right on the weather and our sailing season on the Great Lakes. My Cal 20 comes out early (Sept. 14 this year) because the days get too short for a working guy to go sailing. The other boat lives in a marina so it's not exposed to storms and is a weekend vessel for sailing. I'm headed off to Spain for the first 2 weeks of Oct. so the question was whether to haul before or after. The usual time is right in the middle. I opted for after because that leaves one more weekend to sail and to do the unrigging chores David described. Let's hope for a pleasant late October around Michigan. Yeah, we can haul when it's wet and cold, but it's much better when the sun is shining. > > I've been hauling this boat for 50 years and the Cal 20 for 19, and it still makes me nervous. There are all the what-ifs. The process almost always goes easily and as planned, maybe because I worry about it and get all the controllable factors under control. > > Chris Campbell > >> > > Links: ------ [1] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Cal_Boats/conversations/messages/43666;_ylc=X3oDMTJyN24wNzBkBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRtc2dJZAM0MzY2NgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNycGx5BHN0aW1lAzE1MDY2Mzk5NDY-?act=reply&amp;messageNum=43666 [2] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Cal_Boats/conversations/newtopic;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZzAwbHZzBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzE1MDY2Mzk5NDY- [3] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Cal_Boats/conversations/topics/43660;_ylc=X3oDMTM3OWU4bXM1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRtc2dJZAM0MzY2NgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawN2dHBjBHN0aW1lAzE1MDY2Mzk5NDYEdHBjSWQDNDM2NjA- [4] https://yho.com/1wwmgg [5] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Cal_Boats/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdHE1azk4BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE1MDY2Mzk5NDY- [6] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Cal_Boats/photos/photostream;_ylc=X3oDMTJndm82b2ltBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2cGhvdARzdGltZQMxNTA2NjM5OTQ2 [7] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlamZzcGtuBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzE2NDg1Njk1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTUwNjYzOTk0OA-- [8] https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html [9] https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/

Took the mast down last Wednesday, about a 30 minute job, and the Cal is now a powerboat. Put the mast on the rack at the club; going downriver on Monday, 3-4 hours depending on how long it takes to lock through the O'Brien lock. Lake Michigan side is about 4 feet higher than the Mississippi River side is. The drainage changes about a half mile from where I live. That's the Des Plaines River, which flows south toward the gulf. East of that the drainage originally flowed into Lake Michigan. We are at a mini-continental divide. Engineers built locks and dams and forced the Chicago and Calumet Rivers to flow south, towards the gulf, taking our sewage with them. St. Louis didn't like it. It's a lot cleaner now, but you wouldn't want to swim there. Feds are forcing Chicago to further clean up the discharge. I have noticed the cleanup on my river trips. It's working, the rivers are becoming cleaner, still a long way to go. The effect was the sewage was no longer discharged into Lake Michigan, and people stopped dying from diseases like cholera. So I don't mind waiting for the lock twice a year.David Dobbs Cal29 411

Sorry your season ends so early. We won't haul Puffin until December. Like to take her out of the water for a few months each year and do some maintenance things. Leslie Puffin Cal 33-2 On Sunday, October 22, 2017, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > Took the mast down last Wednesday, about a 30 minute job, and the Cal is > now a powerboat. Put the mast on the rack at the club; going downriver on > Monday, 3-4 hours depending on how long it takes to lock through the > O'Brien lock. Lake Michigan side is about 4 feet higher than the > Mississippi River side is. The drainage changes about a half mile from > where I live. That's the Des Plaines River, which flows south toward the > gulf. East of that the drainage originally flowed into Lake Michigan. We > are at a mini-continental divide. Engineers built locks and dams and > forced the Chicago and Calumet Rivers to flow south, towards the gulf, > taking our sewage with them. St. Louis didn't like it. It's a lot cleaner > now, but you wouldn't want to swim there. Feds are forcing Chicago to > further clean up the discharge. I have noticed the cleanup on my river > trips. It's working, the rivers are becoming cleaner, still a long way to > go. The effect was the sewage was no longer discharged into Lake Michigan, > and people stopped dying from diseases like cholera. So I don't mind > waiting for the lock twice a year. > David Dobbs Cal29 411 > > > >

David, are you getting any quagga mussels in your area? Take Care Charlie Annapolis Cal 25 From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2017 5:39 PM To: Yahoogroups <ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the season Took the mast down last Wednesday, about a 30 minute job, and the Cal is now a powerboat. Put the mast on the rack at the club; going downriver on Monday, 3-4 hours depending on how long it takes to lock through the O'Brien lock. Lake Michigan side is about 4 feet higher than the Mississippi River side is. The drainage changes about a half mile from where I live. That's the Des Plaines River, which flows south toward the gulf. East of that the drainage originally flowed into Lake Michigan. We are at a mini-continental divide. Engineers built locks and dams and forced the Chicago and Calumet Rivers to flow south, towards the gulf, taking our sewage with them. St. Louis didn't like it. It's a lot cleaner now, but you wouldn't want to swim there. Feds are forcing Chicago to further clean up the discharge. I have noticed the cleanup on my river trips. It's working, the rivers are becoming cleaner, still a long way to go. The effect was the sewage was no longer discharged into Lake Michigan, and people stopped dying from diseases like cholera. So I don't mind waiting for the lock twice a year. David Dobbs Cal29 411

Yes Charlie, they have replaced the zebra mussels. They make the water so clear that the vegetation grows in our 9 foot deep harbor. Some years bad enough to foul props. Not for the last couple years though.David On Monday, October 23, 2017 12:11 AM, "'Charlie Husar' hu… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: David, are you getting any quagga mussels in your area? Take CareCharlieAnnapolisCal 25 From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2017 5:39 PM To: Yahoogroups <ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Subject: [Cal_Boats] End of the season Took the mast down last Wednesday, about a 30 minute job, and the Cal is now a powerboat. Put the mast on the rack at the club; going downriver on Monday, 3-4 hours depending on how long it takes to lock through the O'Brien lock. Lake Michigan side is about 4 feet higher than the Mississippi River side is. The drainage changes about a half mile from where I live. That's the Des Plaines River, which flows south toward the gulf. East of that the drainage originally flowed into Lake Michigan. We are at a mini-continental divide. Engineers built locks and dams and forced the Chicago and Calumet Rivers to flow south, towards the gulf, taking our sewage with them. St. Louis didn't like it. It's a lot cleaner now, but you wouldn't want to swim there. Feds are forcing Chicago to further clean up the discharge. I have noticed the cleanup on my river trips. It's working, the rivers are becoming cleaner, still a long way to go. The effect was the sewage was no longer discharged into Lake Michigan, and people stopped dying from diseases like cholera. So I don't mind waiting for the lock twice a year.David Dobbs Cal29 411

On 10/22/2017 5:38 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Took the mast down last Wednesday, about a 30 minute job, and the Cal > is now a powerboat. Monday was haul-out day for my other boat, the 1961 Seafarer. This was the 50th time I've hauled that boat. We had a string of wonderful dry, sunny days with temps in the 70s and 80s even, and of course those all come to an end eventually with rain. Yes, on haul-out day. Luckily, the heavy rain held off until I was in the boat barn. Better still, the change of weather was not accompanied by high winds, which can result in postponement because of mast unstepping. I had a nice last sail on Saturday with apparent winds about 9-12 knots mostly. Shorts & t-shirts, not always assured in mid-October. Many boats are hauled already, but there were 8 others out sailing, and then late in the afternoon as I headed in to the marina another 6 headed out for that last summery sail. It was probably my last sail with the old mainsail, which was placed in service some time around 1970. The new one is on order. The old one actually looked pretty good, but the sail cloth is getting fragile. Surely the new one will amaze me with performance enhancement. The next-to-last sail was also a good one except for a small incident. I was sailing along merrily when all of a sudden there were great thumping and bumping noises and feelings. "Oh s., I'm running aground." Problem was, it was where there should be enough water. After three or four bug bumps it all ceased and I looked back to see one of those big semi-waterlogged deadheads, a big floating log that was slowly bobbing up and down, now submerged, now not. I see those and wonder what will happen when some powerboat hits them (power boaters are assumed to be unobservant). But now I had hit it. First, look around to see if anybody saw me do it. Nope, no shame. Second, check the bilge. No water. Check the centerboard--goes up and down. Check the old Sumlog--still reading so the impeller is intact. Check the outboard--looks OK. Basically no harm done. I figured I'd see impact marks on the bottom paint when I hauled but there was no real sign. We've had a lot of debris this summer. The marina is up a large river, the Saginaw, and the extreme weather events have caused flooding. That sends debris down the river and into the Bay. After that I've been more vigilant about lookout and a bit less focused on the tell-tales. A bit. We sailors can't ignore sail trim very long, can we? I'm pretty sure that when I hauled that boat the first time, none of the crew who hauled her yesterday had even been born. I was pondering one of those internet funnies that stuck in my mind--"I knew I'd grow old; I just didn't think it would happen so fast." So far that's manageable. A pretty sailboat, a nice breeze, and the occasional unexpected event make me feel much younger than the old face that stares back in the mirror. Chris Campbell

On 10/23/2017 4:53 PM, david dobbs tm… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Yes Charlie, they have replaced the zebra mussels. They make the > water so clear that the vegetation grows in our 9 foot deep harbor. > Some years bad enough to foul props. Not for the last couple years > though. > David Adding to that, Lakes Michigan and Huron are now clearer than Lake Superior, traditionally the clearest by reason of its vastness, cold temps, and lack of human-added nutrients from farming and sewage. It's not so much because we humans have improved our behavior (although we have done some of that). It's because the zebra mussels and their later-arriving cousins, the quaggas, exist in such abundance, each one filtering a liter of water a day. As David observed, the clarity improves light penetration so we get rooted plants where none grew before. Some of them are invasive, the result of aquarium plant sales or international shipping. Chris Campbell > > > >