Getting sailing experience with racing

This will be my second year sailboat racing on Lake Macatawa (Holland) since 1976 .   We race with the Bay Shore Yacht Club, an all volunteer organization.  Last year I spent half my time on the race committee boat with Charlie and crew, and the other half on Lickety-Split, a Hobie Cat (monohull) 33′ racing boat.  This year I will be considered regular crew and not a substitute.  Pretty cool.  And Tom and Jeff, the co-owners have purchased a slightly used J boat 35′, and are selling their Hobie Cat.  A new experience for all.

The weekly racing will give me about 20 days on the water, and I am hopeful to get a race crossing Lake Michigan.  The racing time will help me acquire more days-on-the-water, which is required with the USCG requirements.  I will miss the race committee crew becuase they are great bunch of people.  But actually, I will see them after the races in the yacht club.

New website for traveling boaters

Jackie and I have chartered sailboats in the past, and each time, there is a lot of preparation involved on where to anchor, what marinas take transient visitors, where to eat, buy food supplies, and what needs to be seen or visited or climbed when we are in port.  So we developed a new website that brings it all together by port.  Check out www.PortsByBoat.com.  Check it out. Its free to see and advertise.

ASA IQC courses

I have been preparing for my ASA Instructor Qualified Course this April.  ASA has provided the general ideas, and the make it clear that the course is ont training, but more testing.  So I have been reading, creating cheat sheets, and working as many sample navigational problems as I can find.  What an experience.