Sailing 2003 - Impetuous

Revised: March 25, 2003

Summary

I am looking for:

• Crew for casual racing (Friday evenings in the Oakland Estuary), and for the Vallejo race in early May
• People who want to do one-day sails on San Francisco bay
• An opportunity for me to crew on a boat in the October Baha Haha
• An opportunity to cruise on a boat in the Sea of Cortez

I'm retired and like to sail very much and am always looking for others to join our interesting mix of 20-50+ year-old people (married, singles, etc.) for sailing in the bay, on our CAL-34 34-foot sailboat. These are smart and relaxed people, and our emphasis is on learning more sailing (with no shouting), having good times (and eating well), and seeing the outdoor scenery in the bay.

Objectives

• HAVE FUN
• Learn more about sailing. We will have specific practice programs.
• Participate in the Vallejo race
• Eat very well
• Others get to be at the helm, not just the skipper

.....(and as in France, discussion of politics, religion and work is mostly avoided.)

All skill and experience levels are welcome, as long as you are eager to learn and keep asking "how can I help". With boating stuff, the following items are essential:

• Commit to specific dates and honor your committments.
• Show up reliably and promptly. (This is perhaps the very best skill a sailor can ever have.)
• Commit to the entire day and evening. We often get back much later than planned and cannot rush to meet a crewmember's schedule.

If you are interested, send an email to: lat38mcR@mgb67.com

Sailing schedule

Photos and resume

Skipper's resume is at: Resume

Meeting on non-race sailing days

Use the boat cell phone number that morning to give updates/delays . I will provide you with the boat cell phone number .

Meeting on Friday racing days

Use the boat cell phone number that morning to give updates/delays . I will provide you with the boat cell phone number .

Directions to boat

Directions to Encinal Yacht Club are shown below: These are not very clear directions, so allow a little extra time on your first trip there.

Expectations

• Report breakages/problems IMMEDIATELY.

  Quick fixes can be easy and inexpensive; later fixes can be very expensive. e.g. the rings on the spinnaker sheet shackles cost 99 cents to replace... if we had lost the shackle pin, the cost would be over $100. Do this even if you think you caused the problem.

• Ask questions. Learning about boats is fun, and you will feel more relaxed and assurred if you know what is going on. Also, the questions can help avoid expensive, large problems.

• Offer to help. There are many things to be done on a boat, and an offer of help is appreciated by all. Ask "What can I do to help?"

• Be able to tie a bowline QUICKLY. The most useful knot.

• Thoroughly clean the boat afterward
  • Take everything you brought: "Pack it in...pack it out."
  • Wash the boat
  • Wash the dishes; empty the ice box
  • Take out garbage
  • Vacuum
  • Put cushions back in main sitting area

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I bring?
  • NON-BLACK-SOLED shoes that will not mark the deck. Bare feet are not allowed
  • Sunblock - the kind that works best for you
  • Hat - something that will stay on when it is windy
  • Sunglasses. It is bright out on the water, even on overcast days. Polarized lenses are a definite plus.
  • Windbreaker jacket - expect to get wet, cold and miserable - so multiple layers and a change of clothes is very nice to have. Especially nice to have dry socks at the end of the day.
  • Sailing gloves. Required for racing; recommended for day-sailing. Mark your name on them.
  • BYOW Bring your own water. Sounds strange, but last year I cruised for 8,000 miles with people who had widely different requirements for drinking water, highly frustrating to the captains. Bring whatever you want and pack out what you do not use.
  • Bring whatever snack you want to eat for the one-hour motoring out the estuary. I'll provide coffee and juice.
  • Motion sickness medications or sea bands, if you need or want them. We rarely get into long sustained bad boat motion, but if you get queasy, bring something that you know works for you.
  • If you go on one of our cruises to Angel Island, bring additional shoes for hiking. There is great hiking there, and boat shoes just do not work.

• What not to bring?
  • Red wine - it stains the boat
  • Life jackets - I have several generic ones which you are welcome to use. Some sailors bring their own because they like the one they have, and it is okay if you wish to bring your own.
  • Safety harness - I have a few harnesses, and it is okay if wish to bring your own. If you bring your own, bring your own tether as well.

• What are the costs?
  • Day-sailing. Very low. You pay for food and drinks, and dinner afterward is "dutch treat". You contribute upscale eats and perhaps drinks to be shared at the end of the day.
  • Racing. Almost zero. You pay for dinner and drinks after each race, either at the yacht club or at a local restaurant. The last race is a special occasion, and I will pay for that. I do not pay for your sailing gloves (required).
  • If you drop a winch handle in the water, you must replace it. These metal handles are about $150 each.

• Do I need to know "boat lingo" and the right way to say things?
  • No. Boat language is part of the learning process, and it just works better if we communicate on common terms. I expect you to learn quickly and call it correctly the second time.

• Does the boat have a toilet?
  • Yes. It is called the "head", from the old days where the "facilities" were a net strung forward underneath the figurehead, hence the phrase "I'm going to the 'head". On "Impetuous", it is a regular toilet and not a net, and one should pump the head, not too vigorously but enough to clear the various hoses.