A Cal 25 kinda day

Hi Cal folks, Thought we would share yesterday's adventure. This weekend, 20 & 21 July is our annual Blue Angels at the Beach weekend. Of course the Blue Angels are homebased here in Pensacola, so we get to see them practice once or twice a week. Bayou Chico is less than three miles from the airfield, so they go right ovewrhead. We love it and all work stops so we can watch. In July of each year, they provide a show at Pensacola Beach, so many locals take their boats over, anchor up, get in the water with a plastic chair and appropriate liquid refreshments to watch the "Blues" and other airplane demos. We normally take our 25' pontoon boat over with several friends, pull up on the sandbar in Little Sabine and enjoy. This year the starter on the 2003 Johnson 50 HP died after only 4 years of limited use. I know I should have got a Yamaha! Anyway, which boat to take? Our Cal Cruising 46, "Satori" ? No, too big to take across the bay for two people. The 20' Correct Craft ski boat? No, too many wakes to cross on the way back home and the flat bottom is tough on the arthritic joints. Our aluminum skiff with the 15 HP Yamaha? Same as the ski boat. So, "Bravura" AKA "Thanks Janet" our Cal 25 was our choice. Besides she had not been away from our dock for several months and I had just tuned up the 8HP Yamaha. We needed to go, as we are both stressed and very tired. Bobbie's mom has been living with us since December 2002 when her dad passed. Her health has rapidly declined, the cardiologist told us ther is nothing more that can be done. Bobbie stays with her almost constantly as she must be helped to move and cared for in every way. We have offered to hire nurses, but she refuses. So, we are doing our family duty. We left our dock at about 1030, flat seas, no wind, 90+ degrees. I did not want to take the time to install the Bimini, so we grabbed a beach umbrella and, of course, an ample supply of Sam Adams, and we motored the 7 miles over to Pensacola Beach the Yammer pushing us at an easy 5 knots. We knew a westerly would build as the day went on, so went into Little Sabine and anchored by the stern on the west end of the sandbar. OOPS! Went aground just before setting the Northill, so had to get off as the tide was waning. The Yammer tried mightily, we rocked her back and forth to no avail, then Bobbie went over the side and lifted and pushed her off to the amusement of the power boaters none of whom offered to help. Since I am awaiting a hip replacement, my mobility is somewhat limited. By anchoring by the stern and the poptop raised we had a nice breeze throughout the boat, so we sipped and watched from down below in the shade. Love a Cal 25. After the show we hung around letting the wake makers get away. About 4PM we upped anchor, set the 135% #3 Genoa as the wind had piped up to 15 - 20 and we had to beat up the narrow sound a few miles before falling off and reaching across Escambia Bay. It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. We blasted along after clearing Gulf Breeze Point all the way into Bayou Chico and planned to sail all the way back up the west arm to our dock. Well of course, in the narrowest part of the channel, in front of the yacht club a 17' BW w/Johnson OB had failed and was blocking our path, so we circled, dropped the jib, and let Mr. Yammer take us home. After a good wash down and another Sam, we considered it a perfect Cal 25 kinda day. Tom and Bobbie Vandiver

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, Tom Vandiver <bshmarine@...> wrote: > > Hi Cal folks, > > By anchoring by the stern and the poptop raised we had > a nice breeze throughout the boat, so we sipped and > watched from down below in the shade. Love a Cal 25. I'll remember this little tid bit of anchoring information. Appreciate learning things like this. > After the show we hung around letting the wake makers > get away. About 4PM we upped anchor, set the 135% #3 > Genoa as the wind had piped up to 15 - 20 and we had > to beat up the narrow sound a few miles before falling > off and reaching across Escambia Bay. It was > wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the > alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as > close as possible. > > Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their > father. The same here. What a polite way to phrase it! Thanks for sharing, Tom. Hope the Blue Angles kept their distance.

Tom: Yes, does sound like a perfect Cal 25 day! Good for you and Bobbi and Bravura! jp Janet Plume, Editor/Gulf Shipper 826 Fern Street New Orleans, La. 70118 504-866-7076 cell: 504-250-4539 email: jp… [at] joc.com We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tom Vandiver Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 7:06 AM To: Cal List Subject: [Cal_Boats] A Cal 25 kinda day Hi Cal folks, Thought we would share yesterday's adventure. This weekend, 20 & 21 July is our annual Blue Angels at the Beach weekend. Of course the Blue Angels are homebased here in Pensacola, so we get to see them practice once or twice a week. Bayou Chico is less than three miles from the airfield, so they go right ovewrhead. We love it and all work stops so we can watch. In July of each year, they provide a show at Pensacola Beach, so many locals take their boats over, anchor up, get in the water with a plastic chair and appropriate liquid refreshments to watch the "Blues" and other airplane demos. We normally take our 25' pontoon boat over with several friends, pull up on the sandbar in Little Sabine and enjoy. This year the starter on the 2003 Johnson 50 HP died after only 4 years of limited use. I know I should have got a Yamaha! Anyway, which boat to take? Our Cal Cruising 46, "Satori" ? No, too big to take across the bay for two people. The 20' Correct Craft ski boat? No, too many wakes to cross on the way back home and the flat bottom is tough on the arthritic joints. Our aluminum skiff with the 15 HP Yamaha? Same as the ski boat. So, "Bravura" AKA "Thanks Janet" our Cal 25 was our choice. Besides she had not been away from our dock for several months and I had just tuned up the 8HP Yamaha. We needed to go, as we are both stressed and very tired. Bobbie's mom has been living with us since December 2002 when her dad passed. Her health has rapidly declined, the cardiologist told us ther is nothing more that can be done. Bobbie stays with her almost constantly as she must be helped to move and cared for in every way. We have offered to hire nurses, but she refuses. So, we are doing our family duty. We left our dock at about 1030, flat seas, no wind, 90+ degrees. I did not want to take the time to install the Bimini, so we grabbed a beach umbrella and, of course, an ample supply of Sam Adams, and we motored the 7 miles over to Pensacola Beach the Yammer pushing us at an easy 5 knots. We knew a westerly would build as the day went on, so went into Little Sabine and anchored by the stern on the west end of the sandbar. OOPS! Went aground just before setting the Northill, so had to get off as the tide was waning. The Yammer tried mightily, we rocked her back and forth to no avail, then Bobbie went over the side and lifted and pushed her off to the amusement of the power boaters none of whom offered to help. Since I am awaiting a hip replacement, my mobility is somewhat limited. By anchoring by the stern and the poptop raised we had a nice breeze throughout the boat, so we sipped and watched from down below in the shade. Love a Cal 25. After the show we hung around letting the wake makers get away. About 4PM we upped anchor, set the 135% #3 Genoa as the wind had piped up to 15 - 20 and we had to beat up the narrow sound a few miles before falling off and reaching across Escambia Bay. It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. We blasted along after clearing Gulf Breeze Point all the way into Bayou Chico and planned to sail all the way back up the west arm to our dock. Well of course, in the narrowest part of the channel, in front of the yacht club a 17' BW w/Johnson OB had failed and was blocking our path, so we circled, dropped the jib, and let Mr. Yammer take us home. After a good wash down and another Sam, we considered it a perfect Cal 25 kinda day. Tom and Bobbie Vandiver

Catching up on emails, caught this one. Very nice. Some days are just made for Cal 25's. Sometimes we miss our Cal 25. Last we heard, the buyer was planning to sail to Jamaica! But with a Cal 34 (Cal 25 on steroids) we can well suffice. Love the part about the alpha hotel powerboaters. LOL! We've got our share around these waters, too, sadly. Something about the shape of a Cal seems to make us rock more than other wider boats, too. Maybe it's cause Cals are from the same generation as Rock n Roll? I used to get a 'tude about em, flip em off, gripe on air, etc, etc. All for naught. Now I just smile and wave. I do have a way of driving that minimizes the rocking. Moderate wakes call for an action of heading for the wake, then turning away just prior to contact. If you are in the turn away as it hits, it seems to minimize the effect. I like the smile and wave thing. Here's how I figger it: a) most of the time the jerk has no idea what he's doing. b) if he's trying to be a jerk,and I keep cool, he gets no reward. c) powerboater passengers are often invited guests out for their first time. If they see their host being an alpha hotel, and the sailor can still smile and wave, they might think: "Hey, sailing must be fun. That guy is unfazed by the jerk I'm with." ~smile~ SMon Tom Vandiver <bs… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: Hi Cal folks, Thought we would share yesterday's adventure. This weekend, 20 & 21 July is our annual Blue Angels at the Beach weekend. Of course the Blue Angels are homebased here in Pensacola, so we get to see them practice once or twice a week. Bayou Chico is less than three miles from the airfield, so they go right ovewrhead. We love it and all work stops so we can watch. In July of each year, they provide a show at Pensacola Beach, so many locals take their boats over, anchor up, get in the water with a plastic chair and appropriate liquid refreshments to watch the "Blues" and other airplane demos. We normally take our 25' pontoon boat over with several friends, pull up on the sandbar in Little Sabine and enjoy. This year the starter on the 2003 Johnson 50 HP died after only 4 years of limited use. I know I should have got a Yamaha! Anyway, which boat to take? Our Cal Cruising 46, "Satori" ? No, too big to take across the bay for two people. The 20' Correct Craft ski boat? No, too many wakes to cross on the way back home and the flat bottom is tough on the arthritic joints. Our aluminum skiff with the 15 HP Yamaha? Same as the ski boat. So, "Bravura" AKA "Thanks Janet" our Cal 25 was our choice. Besides she had not been away from our dock for several months and I had just tuned up the 8HP Yamaha. We needed to go, as we are both stressed and very tired. Bobbie's mom has been living with us since December 2002 when her dad passed. Her health has rapidly declined, the cardiologist told us ther is nothing more that can be done. Bobbie stays with her almost constantly as she must be helped to move and cared for in every way. We have offered to hire nurses, but she refuses. So, we are doing our family duty. We left our dock at about 1030, flat seas, no wind, 90+ degrees. I did not want to take the time to install the Bimini, so we grabbed a beach umbrella and, of course, an ample supply of Sam Adams, and we motored the 7 miles over to Pensacola Beach the Yammer pushing us at an easy 5 knots. We knew a westerly would build as the day went on, so went into Little Sabine and anchored by the stern on the west end of the sandbar. OOPS! Went aground just before setting the Northill, so had to get off as the tide was waning. The Yammer tried mightily, we rocked her back and forth to no avail, then Bobbie went over the side and lifted and pushed her off to the amusement of the power boaters none of whom offered to help. Since I am awaiting a hip replacement, my mobility is somewhat limited. By anchoring by the stern and the poptop raised we had a nice breeze throughout the boat, so we sipped and watched from down below in the shade. Love a Cal 25. After the show we hung around letting the wake makers get away. About 4PM we upped anchor, set the 135% #3 Genoa as the wind had piped up to 15 - 20 and we had to beat up the narrow sound a few miles before falling off and reaching across Escambia Bay. It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. We blasted along after clearing Gulf Breeze Point all the way into Bayou Chico and planned to sail all the way back up the west arm to our dock. Well of course, in the narrowest part of the channel, in front of the yacht club a 17' BW w/Johnson OB had failed and was blocking our path, so we circled, dropped the jib, and let Mr. Yammer take us home. After a good wash down and another Sam, we considered it a perfect Cal 25 kinda day. Tom and Bobbie Vandiver --------------------------------- Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

Cal folks: Tom Vandiver's post that Steve replied to was one that came while I was off-list on my great vacation in Italy. Apparently Tom said: It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. This has been an especially annoying year for powerboaters where my other boat, the old Seafarer, lies. She's in a marina a mile up the Saginaw River. It's "no-wake" zone to the river mouth. But then it's another mile in a confined channel until there's enough water to get out of the dredged shipping channel. There's no no-wake limit there so the @#$%*&!!!! powerboaters roar past, right next to you. The noisy ones drive me nuts with their intrusive sound, but it's the big cruisers that plow past, halfway on plane, creating huge wakes, that really test my self-control. It's a confined channel, folks, and simple courtesy says "watch your wake." But simple courtesy is not the strong suit of most powerboaters. They are people who are mostly oblivious to everything around them. Weather, sea state, status of their own gas tanks.... On the last subject, the boat next to my other boat sank Friday night right in the slip. When I showed up on Sat. there were divers and float bags and pumps all over. Then the local salvage tower arrived to tow the boat around to the Travelift for haulout. I was chatting with him and he said that most of his calls are powerboats--"you know, engine problems, out of gas...." I keep a pretty close eye on the gas tank of my sailboat, for goodness' sake. You'd think that if your sole source of motive power was gas, you'd keep a closer eye on it. But then, that would be rational, and rationality has not caught on in the powerboat world, at least where I live. If it had, there would not be those mountainous wakes. Chris Campbell

Chris, ever heard of an airsoft gun? Chris Campbell wrote: > Cal folks: > > Tom Vandiver's post that Steve replied to was one that came while I > was off-list on my great vacation in Italy. Apparently Tom said: > > It was > wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the > alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as > close as possible. > > Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their > father. > > This has been an especially annoying year for powerboaters where my > other boat, the old Seafarer, lies. She's in a marina a mile up the > Saginaw River. It's "no-wake" zone to the river mouth. But then > it's another mile in a confined channel until there's enough water to > get out of the dredged shipping channel. > > There's no no-wake limit there so the @#$%*&!!!! powerboaters roar > past, right next to you. The noisy ones drive me nuts with their > intrusive sound, but it's the big cruisers that plow past, halfway on > plane, creating huge wakes, that really test my self-control. It's a > confined channel, folks, and simple courtesy says "watch your wake." > But simple courtesy is not the strong suit of most powerboaters. They > are people who are mostly oblivious to everything around them. > Weather, sea state, status of their own gas tanks.... > > On the last subject, the boat next to my other boat sank Friday night > right in the slip. When I showed up on Sat. there were divers and > float bags and pumps all over. Then the local salvage tower arrived > to tow the boat around to the Travelift for haulout. I was chatting > with him and he said that most of his calls are powerboats--"you know, > engine problems, out of gas...." I keep a pretty close eye on the gas > tank of my sailboat, for goodness' sake. You'd think that if your > sole source of motive power was gas, you'd keep a closer eye on it. > But then, that would be rational, and rationality has not caught on > in the powerboat world, at least where I live. If it had, there would > not be those mountainous wakes. > > Chris Campbell > -- Marsh Wise Webmaster: -reenactor.Net: http://www.reenactor.net/ -Foresthill.us: http://www.foresthill.us/ -Legio IX Hispana Penna: http://www.reenactor.net/units/legio_ix_penna/ - 17. Luftwaffe Feld-Division <http://www.reenactor.net/units/17lwfd/> Assistant Webmaster: -VAQ-33 Squadron site: http://www.reenactor.net/vaq-33/ Proud Member (meaning I can just have fun...) -LEGIO IX HISPANA COH III Penna Chapter: http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org/ Netscape Aim/AOL screen name: Sturmkatze Yahoo Messenger screen name: sturmkatze Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself. ~Mark Twain *Last: Hey Dammit! Have you visited the reenactor.Net FORvMS? If not, WHY NOT? Gett your butt over to: http://www.reenactor.net/forums/index.php right now!

Marsh Wise wrote: > > Chris, ever heard of an airsoft gun? > No...will it puncture their gas tanks or prevent the throttles from being placed in the halfway-on-plane position? Chris Campbell

Nah, but it stings >:-) Kinda like an advanced bb gun. And they have full autos... Ya never know. There are things you could do. Oh whoops, i didn't kow I was trailing that line... so sorry dude. I be tif you wern't going so fas tin here, you'd have see it, huh? :-0 Chris Campbell wrote: > Marsh Wise wrote: > >> Chris, ever heard of an airsoft gun? >> > > > No...will it puncture their gas tanks or prevent the throttles from > being placed in the halfway-on-plane position? > > Chris Campbell > > -- Marsh Wise Webmaster: -reenactor.Net: http://www.reenactor.net/ -Foresthill.us: http://www.foresthill.us/ -Legio IX Hispana Penna: http://www.reenactor.net/units/legio_ix_penna/ - 17. Luftwaffe Feld-Division <http://www.reenactor.net/units/17lwfd/> Assistant Webmaster: -VAQ-33 Squadron site: http://www.reenactor.net/vaq-33/ Proud Member (meaning I can just have fun...) -LEGIO IX HISPANA COH III Penna Chapter: http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org/ Netscape Aim/AOL screen name: Sturmkatze Yahoo Messenger screen name: sturmkatze Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself. ~Mark Twain *Last: Hey Dammit! Have you visited the reenactor.Net FORvMS? If not, WHY NOT? Gett your butt over to: http://www.reenactor.net/forums/index.php right now!

About channels without a 'No-Wake' zone. When not in a no-wake zone, boaters are not free to go as fast as they like. Inland Rules 6 and 16 still apply (as do all others of course). These don't specify a particular speed, still, they should be (and will be in an enforcement /litigation action) taken into account. Also, Rule 2 is still the catch-all under which every one operates. In many areas there may be restrictions on passing speeds or absolute speeds even though not posted by a marker. These can usually be found in Coast Pilot and Local Notices to Mariners. The thing that bothers me the most is just the outright lack of consideration fo others. Of course, modern TV/Movie culture exalts just such behavior - manhood is defined by just how 'bad' you are. From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Chris Campbell Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 10:58 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] A Cal 25 kinda day Cal folks: Tom Vandiver's post that Steve replied to was one that came while I was off-list on my great vacation in Italy. Apparently Tom said: It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. This has been an especially annoying year for powerboaters where my other boat, the old Seafarer, lies. She's in a marina a mile up the Saginaw River. It's "no-wake" zone to the river mouth. But then it's another mile in a confined channel until there's enough water to get out of the dredged shipping channel. There's no no-wake limit there so the @#$%*&!!!! powerboaters roar past, right next to you. The noisy ones drive me nuts with their intrusive sound, but it's the big cruisers that plow past, halfway on plane, creating huge wakes, that really test my self-control. It's a confined channel, folks, and simple courtesy says "watch your wake." But simple courtesy is not the strong suit of most powerboaters. They are people who are mostly oblivious to everything around them. Weather, sea state, status of their own gas tanks.... On the last subject, the boat next to my other boat sank Friday night right in the slip. When I showed up on Sat. there were divers and float bags and pumps all over. Then the local salvage tower arrived to tow the boat around to the Travelift for haulout. I was chatting with him and he said that most of his calls are powerboats--"you know, engine problems, out of gas...." I keep a pretty close eye on the gas tank of my sailboat, for goodness' sake. You'd think that if your sole source of motive power was gas, you'd keep a closer eye on it. But then, that would be rational, and rationality has not caught on in the powerboat world, at least where I live. If it had, there would not be those mountainous wakes. Chris Campbell DISCLAIMER: Important Notice ************************************************* This e-mail may contain information that is confidential, privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, do not duplicate or redistribute it by any means. Please delete it and any attachments and notify the sender that you have received it in error. Unintended recipients are prohibited from taking action on the basis of information in this e-mail.E-mail messages may contain computer viruses or other defects, may not be accurately replicated on other systems, or may be intercepted, deleted or interfered with without the knowledge of the sender or the intended recipient. If you are not comfortable with the risks associated with e-mail messages, you may decide not to use e-mail to communicate with IPC. IPC reserves the right, to the extent and under circumstances permitted by applicable law, to retain, monitor and intercept e-mail messages to and from its systems.

Downing, Thomas wrote: > > About channels without a 'No-Wake' zone. When not in a no-wake zone, > boaters > are not free to go as fast as they like. Inland Rules 6 and 16 still > apply (as do all > others of course). These don't specify a particular speed, still, > they should be > (and will be in an enforcement /litigation action) taken into > account. Also, Rule > 2 is still the catch-all under which every one operates. The problem is enforcement. The local law enforcers are the sheriff's marine patrol guys, who are usually under-funded and busy patrolling the official no-wake zone. The rules existed before the no-wake zone in the river and were ignored then too. The local townships and cities adopted ordinances to make enforcement easier. It did work--the river itself is almost always relatively tranquil now. Before the ordinances, the big wakes would bang back and forth between hardened shoreline, reflected crests and troughs coinciding to make even larger mounds of water. It had become frightening on weekends, and I actually sailed less because getting out into the Bay was such a harrowing experience. > > > > The thing that bothers me the most is just the outright lack of > consideration fo > others. Of course, modern TV/Movie culture exalts just such behavior > - manhood > is defined by just how 'bad' you are. This is a big part of it. I call the big-noise boats "small penis boats" because they appear to be a method of compensating for some personal deficiency. I can't fathom any reason for being so extremely intrusive otherwise. You're right that our culture endorses crude, abusive behavior in guys. Being a big jerk is one way to show mastery. Usually, it's the method chosen by those who have limited success in other areas of their lives. The big-wake boats are another matter. As far as I can see, these are simply ignorant and thoughtless people. They don't know the effect they have on others because they don't think about their behavior and its consequences. One of the characteristics of adulthood is having a greater awareness of such things. At least the go-fast guys usually roar past fast enough to leave a small wake, even if they drown out all conversation for a few minutes. Chris Campbell

I've sailed for many years in the Niagara River about three miles from the brink of the falls and we often have problems with power boats throwing some large wakes. I have found many of the worst offenders are the ones that complain the most about people throwing wakes against them when they are in their slip. Sometimes for brief moments I think that some of these power boaters just got into tight spaces and weren't thinking. But for the last ten years I've been sailing in Lake Erie, its 35 miles wide and 200 miles long there is no need for some of these A_H's to come within a boat length and leave a wake like the one that almost rolled me a week ago. The good news about that instance is that I could see his wife give him Hell after he went by. He traveled the last five miles into the harbor at under 10 knots. _____ From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Downing, Thomas Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 12:36 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] A Cal 25 kinda day About channels without a 'No-Wake' zone. When not in a no-wake zone, boaters are not free to go as fast as they like. Inland Rules 6 and 16 still apply (as do all others of course). These don't specify a particular speed, still, they should be (and will be in an enforcement /litigation action) taken into account. Also, Rule 2 is still the catch-all under which every one operates. In many areas there may be restrictions on passing speeds or absolute speeds even though not posted by a marker. These can usually be found in Coast Pilot and Local Notices to Mariners. The thing that bothers me the most is just the outright lack of consideration fo others. Of course, modern TV/Movie culture exalts just such behavior - manhood is defined by just how 'bad' you are. From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Chris Campbell Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 10:58 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] A Cal 25 kinda day Cal folks: Tom Vandiver's post that Steve replied to was one that came while I was off-list on my great vacation in Italy. Apparently Tom said: It was wonderful! Cal 25 sailing at its best!! Even with the alpha hotel power boaters who seem to need to get as close as possible. Blessed are the wakemakers as they knowest not their father. This has been an especially annoying year for powerboaters where my other boat, the old Seafarer, lies. She's in a marina a mile up the Saginaw River. It's "no-wake" zone to the river mouth. But then it's another mile in a confined channel until there's enough water to get out of the dredged shipping channel. There's no no-wake limit there so the @#$%*&!!!! powerboaters roar past, right next to you. The noisy ones drive me nuts with their intrusive sound, but it's the big cruisers that plow past, halfway on plane, creating huge wakes, that really test my self-control. It's a confined channel, folks, and simple courtesy says "watch your wake." But simple courtesy is not the strong suit of most powerboaters. They are people who are mostly oblivious to everything around them. Weather, sea state, status of their own gas tanks.... On the last subject, the boat next to my other boat sank Friday night right in the slip. When I showed up on Sat. there were divers and float bags and pumps all over. Then the local salvage tower arrived to tow the boat around to the Travelift for haulout. I was chatting with him and he said that most of his calls are powerboats--"you know, engine problems, out of gas...." I keep a pretty close eye on the gas tank of my sailboat, for goodness' sake. You'd think that if your sole source of motive power was gas, you'd keep a closer eye on it. But then, that would be rational, and rationality has not caught on in the powerboat world, at least where I live. If it had, there would not be those mountainous wakes. Chris Campbell DISCLAIMER: Important Notice ************************************************* This e-mail may contain information that is confidential, privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, do not duplicate or redistribute it by any means. Please delete it and any attachments and notify the sender that you have received it in error. Unintended recipients are prohibited from taking action on the basis of information in this e-mail.E-mail messages may contain computer viruses or other defects, may not be accurately replicated on other systems, or may be intercepted, deleted or interfered with without the knowledge of the sender or the intended recipient. If you are not comfortable with the risks associated with e-mail messages, you may decide not to use e-mail to communicate with IPC. IPC reserves the right, to the extent and under circumstances permitted by applicable law, to retain, monitor and intercept e-mail messages to and from its systems.