All Catalina Fleet 69 Lake Travis, Austin, Texas  2004 NEWS

A Boater's Blessing from Yesterday:

May there always be water under your boat,
May she always be seaworthy, ever afloat,
May the storms never find you; fair winds every day,
May the compass and charts always show the safe way,
May you find gentle harbor as every day ends,
May you lower your anchor amidst peace and good friends.

And now, the news from 2004:

Christmas / Holiday Party: Saturday, December 11
Charles and Pat graciously volunteered their recently remodeled home for the Catalina Holiday Party. Twenty-eight people attended and all had a great time. The food was delicious.The gift exchange was fun, with the glass fish being one of the more popular gifts. Marty was awarded the Stough Award. Clay deserved the Blooper award after telling the story on how he hooked the LCRA buoy with his mainsheet before the Breakfast Cruise! Pictures are being gathered and will be (or are) at this link.

November Buddy Cruise: Neither threatening rain (50%) nor cold (50 degrees) could keep the intrepid five sailors from venturing onto Lake Travis for the November Buddy Cruise.  Setting sail aboard Robert's Catalina 250 "Flying Cloud" was a wonderful experience with great "cheer" and crew (Gary, Mark, Lane & Adrienne) comparing notes on how best to keep warm and dry during the active sailing winter months on Lake Travis.  The comparative advantages of a bimini, cabin heaters, foul weather gear, seal skin socks and  most importantly, "Peppermint Schnapps" were discussed while the racing spirit took over Gary as he trimmed sails to overtake the lone
windsurfer.

Congrats to Lane for bringing along his guest, Adrienne, who tolerated the die-hard club members, and succumbed to the "ancient" mariners tradition of standing at the bow with arms spread wide singing the Titantic theme song as is expected for all first-time sailors.  Again, many thanks to Robert for sharing his craft and showing his mooring skills at U-Tote-Um and the Yacht Club.

November Meeting
For the business meeting, the highlight was the nomination and election officers for 2005. About 15 members were in attendance. Fortunately we had some eager (so it seemed) volunteers. Mark B will serve as Commodore, Dave Z will be Vice Commodore, Gary will return as Secretary, Shirley will continue as Treasurer. For the committees, Historians will be Clay and Cheryl (again), and Social Chairs will be Carol (again) and Marty. Officers will be installed at the Holiday Party on December 11.

Mark gave an acceptance speech and we all brainstormed on ideas for next year: Big Brother/Sister type event, Sailing School, man overboard drills, cruising crew list, spontaneous cruises (maybe we'll get some good weather weekends for a change!), fishing tournament (hear that Sheila?), more overnighting, more Arkansas Bend cruises, C22 2005 Nationals will be on Canyon Lake, inter-fleet sailing (with fleets on other lakes/bays, such as Stillhouse Lake and Galveston Bay), Olympic Champion speakers (we know some), etc. It will be an exciting year.

The program was a "talk among yourselves." Brochures from the Moorings and SunSail on Greek Isles chartering were passed around. The cruise will be May 21-28. Contact Gary if you are interested in joining the Flotilla. He would like a small deposit by the end of November.

OktoberFest Cruise - Place: Barry's Cove
Time: 2:00PM Menu:  German Chocolate Cake, German Potato Salad, Red Cabbage, German Sausage. There were 5 boats and 12 sailors and even though the weather seemed questionable in the morning, it turned out to be very nice. That happens a lot it seems, so just go out there and sail! Photos

October Meeting: Catalina Alumni. There were 33 people in attendance and about 15 of them were sailors who were very active in the fleet during one of high points in the late 80's to early 90's. Boris and Inga, charter members of the fleet, were there to tell us about the origins of the fleet. We also remininsced about great cruises like the TNT (Tacos, Nachos and Tortillas, or is that Tequila?). It was great to have a mini-reunion and ya'll are welcome to come back!

October 9-10 Coastal Cruise: On October 9 and 10, Fifteen sailors from Austin's All Catalina Fleet 69 sailed from Kemah to Galveston on a 40' Norseman Cat Catamaran named Reality Check and a Beneteau 44 named PSALMS 35:27. The winds were from the NW 10-20, temperatures were pleasantly near 80, and skies were cloudy most of the day.
Photos. The Catamaran was skippered by the owner, Captain Bill, who lives on the boat. It was very homey, complete with a fully equipped galley, ice maker, TV set, computer station, and you name it. The deck was decorated with a potted palm and bean bags. The crew on Saturday included Gary, Robert & Sheila, Steve & Cheryl, Lane, and Marty. The boat was docked at another marina on Clear Lake so we drove over there and had the opportunity to see some of the lake under motor. The Beneteau was skippered by friend of the fleet Preston, and the Saturday crew included Pam & Mark, Dave & Dianne, Sue, Shirley, and friend of the fleet Chris. Winds were from the northwest, which is fairly unusual, at 10-15. We all raised sail as soon as we passed the Kemah shores, sailed to the channel, and cruised downwind to the turn at Galveston. It was a fairly short sail, about 3.5 hours and we would have liked for more, but, we ventured over to the Harbor House marina and became either shoppers, tourist, or boat bums. The docking was interesting, as the 40' catamaran turned 180 degrees so she could back into the slip.
Some of us toured the Elissa and were delighted to find it was filled with dozens of volunteers working on their sail handling, boat maintenance, fire drills, and seamanship. From July to March, twice a month, they learn how to work with the boat, as it was back when it was born in 1877. In March they will get to take her out to sea.
We all had dinner at Willie G's, which is right by the harbor. The food was excellent and reasonably priced for the quality and location.
Around 9 am we started to leave the harbor. Look at the photos to see pictures of our departure. The boats switched some crew, namely Dave & Dianne, Mark & Pam, Steve & Cheryl, Marty, and Lane. The winds were more than Saturday, from 15-20, and still from the NW so we had to do a lot of motoring up the channel. Channel traffic was light and we got to see many dolphins. After a while the Beneteau was able to raise sail and do some motor sailing on the edge of the channel, sometimes outside of the channel since our navigator and skipper were keeping a close watch. We later lowered sailed, but after a while, both boats were able to sail freely outside the Clear Lake entrance. The winds were steady which made the boat handling pretty easy, even tho there was a bit of heeling. In any case, it was fun and we all had a wonderful time. The company was good, food was great, and the weather was about as good as it can get in October in Texas! There were no dock crashes, no broken forestays, the mains unfurled, and for all that, we are grateful.

The Annual Best-Ever Breakfast Cruise. Sept 11-12. This annual favorite cruise featured pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon, all prepared and consumed on the shores of Lake Travis. Attendees brought coffee, fruit, and delectable toppings. Our hosts, Clay and Joe, did a fantastic job. Six boats spent the night (with 9 people), and in the morning, we grew to 7 boats and 6 land-yachts, and 19 people in all. The weather was hot, in the 90's, but we had a nice place in the shade on the shores of Arkansas Bend (near the "n" in "Arkansas" in the fleet map.) With the lake at 680.3', we had pretty good space on the rocky shore and getting off the boat couldn't get much easier. We're still waiting for reports on the "sail" back to the marinas, but with winds at 0-5 with gusts from 1-6, we suspect the iron winds (if working) came in handy. Photos and More Photos.

September Meeting: We had good attendance (let's keep it up!). We talked about past events, the Governor's Cup Regatta and the Chopsticks Cruise. We then discussed plans for the October Coastal Cruise, Holiday Party, Greek Islands Sailing Charter.

August Catalina Chopsticks Cruise: About 20 Catalina Fleet 69 sailors sailed to the Far East (in their minds) along with 5 guests, including 4 who were from China! In the August air-conditioned comfort of a home, they feasted on a wide variety of Chinese dishes that were prepared by Norma and her crew of volunteers. Dishes included Cantonese B-B-Q duck, Stir-fried shrimp with vegetables, B-B-Q pork, Soy sauce chicken, Pepper-steak with cashew nuts, Pan-fried thin noodles with vegetables, Deluxe fried rice, Plain rice, Chinese tea, and potluck Dessert. The evening was enhanced by stories and pictures from 3 of our members who recently visited China. One of the trips was a cruise on a 200-passenger ship up one of the rivers of China. Many thanks to our hosts and cooks! Photos.

August Meeting: "The Good, Bad, and Ugly Bottom." Jeff presented an excellent program, complete with props and pictures on the big screen, of how he transformed an old, blistery, rusty, and dirty bottom of his around 28?-year-old C22 to one that was smooth, blister-free, filled in, and painted. With help from a forklift, oil barrels, and several strong planks of wood, his boat rested at a comfortable working height. He then convinced friends how much fun it is to pop blisters, sand them out, fill them in, and paint the entire bottom with sealer and then anti-fouling paint. The transformation was amazing.  Two of the recommended books are by Don Casey, "This Old Boat" and "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat."

July Cruise: Watermelon Sun and Fun Cruise. Sunday the 18th.
The weather was unusually "not too hot" with breezes from 5 to 0 and shifting from NW to NE later in the afternoon (as you know, summer winds usually come from the south.) There were 3 boats by the end of the day. (Summer travels kept many of us away.) Flying Cloud was in Barry's Cove with 3 guests, Afternoon Delight had one guest, and Double Happiness was there with her captain. Later on, "Mom's backyard" called for a pickup from Dodd Streed with the Captain and 5 teenagers! There were several types of watermelon for all to sample, along with an excellent selection of other melons, chips, strawberries, pineapple, triskets, cheeses, snacks, and drinks. The main activity was conversation while floating in cool and remarkably clear water (at least 6 feet visibility). A nearby large cabin cruiser played an entire CD of John Phillip Sousa marches which stirred us all to patriotism and breathless humming and water "marching" aerobics.
Everyone then prepared to sail back to marinas. Double Happiness had a nice reach back to Cypress Creek before the wind died completely. There was a wonderful deep red sunset through the clouds with the pink-yellow lake water viewed against the dusky shadowy hills. Many thanks to our hosts! Note to everyone: sailing frequently lowers your blood pressure, causes the corners of your mouth to turn upward, and is excellent justification for paying those slip fees! [ed: many thanks to news contributors.]
Photos Link.

July Meeting: The program this month was Steve and Merri's bareboat sailing trip in the Grenadines.
OK, it was a holiday week, so if you were out of town, you have an excuse for not attending the meeting. In any case, most people missed an excellent program on Sailing in the Grenadines by Steve and Meri. They had lots of pictures, maps, books, and stories to show and tell. Each day they sailed 11-12 miles over fairly open waters but rarely out of the sight of land. The sunsets looked beautiful and the Caribbean blue waters were impressive.

Luau Cruise: Saturday, June 26, Paulette and Gary put on a fantastic luau. Pictures tell more than words, so look at the photos and see rainbows, flowers, a Hawaiian buffet, and lots of aloha spirit! Luau Album 1 and Album 2

May 29-30: Turnback Canyon Regatta: This annual favorite race/cruise started at AYC, from where we sailed 19 miles up the lake to Lago Vista on the first day. Winds were generous, lots of reaches, and we made it there in less than 4 hours. Four fleet 69 boats (and many more skippers) participated. In the evening we ate BBQ and enjoyed Calypso music.There were no overnight storms. On Sunday we sailed home, or at least most of us did. The predictions were 15-25 with a 40% chance of storms, and we got winds 5-10 at best and no storms. Pictures.

Cinco de Mayo Cruise: Saturday, May 15. Rumors are that Bob and Karen hosted a perfect cruise! SIx boats were there one time or another. There were plenty of fresh chicken fajitas on the grill. Jim won the Mayo prize (a jar of mayo, tho I didn't hear what did to deserve the honor).

May Meeting: We learned all about engine maintenance, thanks to South Coast 21 sailor and engine-expert Pat Feagin!

Catalina Fleet 69 Corpus Christi  to Port Aransas Cruise,  April 16th to18th
Here are some photos from our memorable trip: Camera 1 Camera 2
* Friday

All 13 of us arrived at Corpus Christi by Friday evening.

Skippers arrived about 4:45 to check out the Beneteau 311, Tranquility, and the Morgan 46, Souvenir, with Cpt John of the  Corpus Christi Sailing Center.

The high temp in Corpus was 77 sunny with winds gusting up to 38 mph.

All but 2 late-arrivers had dinner at the Water Street Oyster Bar

Some of us stayed on the boats and some in the Super 8. It was a pleasant night, not too hot or cold with a cool breeze. Friday night low was 66 with no rain.

At 8:30 we had a Skippers Meeting with Capt John. We reviewed the Weather forecast with winds expected to build up to around 21 knots. Then we loaded up the boats and were on our way.

Both boats were out on the Bay by 9:30.

We sailed with a fairly constant SE wind starting at 9 knots building to 21. It started out mostly cloudy to partly cloudy.

We entered the Channel just past the 65 foot daymark at marker 43, near Ingleside. We saw dolphins playing in the waves and playing catch me if you can with the photographers (we got one).

The wind direction was perfect, for we were able to sail all the way on either close-hauled or close-reach points of sail. The best ever in my recollection over the 7 times we've done this.

Souvenir arrived at Port A  at 12:30 and parked on pier one next to the shrimper boat PollyAnna. The crew quickly dispersed to the Captains Quarters, to check restaurants, and to shop.

Tranquility ventured out into the Gulf to just past the red buoy. It was easy going out between the jetties and the Gulf waters were fine. Tranquility turned around and entered Port A harbor, taking the guest mooring slip. It required an intricate arrangement of lines to keep it in the right position in the slip. (note: if weather and wind permits, it is best for whomever sleeps in the stern berth if you back into the slip, else it can be a noisy night.)

We had a delightful outdoor dinner at Virginia's on the Bay, trying to get our fill of fresh seafood.

We had a pleasant night with the lows in the upper 60's and the winds around 9 knots. We all decided to venture out into the gulf a little.

Souvenir went out into the Gulf with 2-3 ft seas with the wind up to around 20knts and no one became sea sick.  As Souvenir was coming back into the jetties they passed Tranquility coming out. A photo op!

Tranquility found more wind and waves out in the Gulf, with waves building to 4-6 feet. Still not a problem and a fun ride as long as they were going into or with the waves.

Souvenir went up the Lydia Ann channel to see the lighthouse. As usual, it was very pleasant with good winds and flat waters.

Both boats then headed back for the 20 miles downwind ride to Corpus Christi.

Once in the Bay, Tranquility went off a reach, unfurled the jib, turned downwind, and had a wild and exciting ride, reaching speeds of 9 knots.

By the time we all were safely secured in the CC harbor, winds were howling at 29 with gusts to 36. We all demonstrated our good seamanship in our docking procedures.

We cleaned up the boats and ourselves, stopped at Whattaburger #1 by the Bay, and drove home to Austin with lots of pleasant memories and pictures! (look here: http://photos.yahoo.com/shepsail@sbcglobal.net and more will be added soon!)

April Meeting: Paul Schmidt talked to us about the sailboat maintenance. He specializes in furling systems, rigging, reefing systems, winch overhauls, wheel steering systems, electrical systems, plumbing, diesel engines, and more. It was an interesting talk and we learned about all of the above, plus how to maintain/repair a C22 swing keel. Check your boat for any frayed rigging wires, as they need immediate attention. Furling systems can be especially wear-prone and should be checked. Paul can be reached at 266-3844.

March St. Patrick's Cruise. March St. Patrick's Cruise. It was like a day on the Irish coast with moderate temperatures and a mist in the air. Nine brave lads and ladies of the sea, put on their green and sailed on 2 boats to the annual O'Catalina Cruise in Barry's Cove! We had lots of toe-tapping Irish music and green food to share, such as lime bars, shamrock cookies, green vegetable soup, green Girl Scout cookies, green bottles of beer, Gatorade, and more. It really was fun and it goes to show, when in doubt, just go out. Even the PWCs were out there!  Even more entertaining were the ducks.  Photos Here.

March Meeting: We had a very successful meeting at which we filled the large room at Gatti's with 34 people, visited with sailing friends old and new, and heard a very informative and entertaining program by local sailmaker John Bartlett of Bartlett Sails. John told us about solar screen fabrics that can be added to your current or new bimini and allow the skipper to see the mainsail shape and masthead vane. If it rains, a light warm mist comes thru. He told us about titanium needles and sewing safety.  He spoke of gortex thread and the sombrella materials and how well they hold up to the sun. It was interesting to learn that black fabric holds up the best under Texas sun. Speaking of Texas sun, roller furling covers that work in Boston might not work in Texas. Only sombrella does the job right. We also learned that the the rope in the luff or leach of a sail will shrink 8-10 inches after only a few rain/dry cycles, and can distort the shape of your sail tremendously. Cut the rope and see your sail regain a more proper shape. Last but not least, we learned the names of his 3 three sewing machines and their varied personalities: Thor, Xena, and Captain Ron. Thanks John!

February 15 Chocolates and Champagne Cruise: The Chocolate was Decadent - the Champagne was flowing, Chocolate Brownies, bons bons, Chocolate Cake with Mom's frosting, Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Chocolate Covered Caramel Covered Apple, Chocolate Martinis, and, well, you get the idea. Even the bees and fish were craving the sweets. We all had fun - five boats made the trip, including 1 C22, 2 C25s, 1 C250, and 1 C30. Crews were plenty and we had 18 people in all. Many thanks to hosts Robert and Sheila. We had 3 anchors, set for high winds, but all we had were gentle breezes and lots of sunshine and warmth, defying the temperatures in the 50's. The sun was up, the winds were mild, but filled in for a great sail to the home port. (Photos)

February 12 Meeting:
Thank you to Steffen for the delightful and informative talk as one who is out there doing it - a view of a crossing from Texas to the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula in late December.

Steffen regaled the Fleet with stories of his recent crossing from Texas to Mexico, the thrill of surviving a multi-day storm at sea - out of sight of land, finding the fortitude to go on for several days of rough seas, and the pleasure of accurately predicting the change in the winds which brought about clear skies, trailing winds and following seas after days of beating to weather.

Not to mention the weeks on the beautiful; Solar Heated; Crystal Clear Caribbean Waters off the Mexican beaches where they anchored - once the crossing was complete.  ROUGH LIFE !!!

It also appears to help with Mexican immigration if you speak SPANISH and have recently caught a large edible fish that you are willing to share!   :-)

Thank you Steffen for taking the time to share you story and photos with us. While you were out there doing it - I was home toasting my tootsies by the fire.

I (We-collectively) tip our hats to you for getting out there an doing it !

January 18 Hot Toddy Cruise: Our "Hot Toddy Cruise" became a "Land Cruise" instead.  With temperatures more suitable for Nanook of the North than Sailors of the South, we gathered at Iguana Grill, overlooking Arkansas Bend.  We had 4 boats represented at the grill and one "Mom's Backyard" (nice touch, Jimmy -- er, Lane).  Sitting at a table not too close to the windows, we gazed out on a few intrepid sailors braving whitecaps and gusty winds.  The company was fun, the conversations lively and the sailing stories were told as if they were true! (Photos)

2004 Kickoff Meeting: Thursday, January 8.
Commodore Marty got the year off to an excellent start with a meeting program that included both "business and planning" for the year, as well as 2 educational topics: Winter Sailing and Hypothermia , and a live demonstration of Winch Maintenace.
We also heard a few sailing stories, including the first nominee for the blooper award (nominations begin following the Holiday Party): Somewhere N Time running aground between AYC and K Mark. Ask the skipper for details!
Pay your dues now, for a limited time, at the discount price of $18.

News from 2003

News from 2002

News from 2001

News from 2000

News from 1999