This past winter Brita and I did what sailors do when

you are not able to sail, we watched sailing movies! The first movie, “Maidentrip,” was a documentary of a young Dutch girl who sailed solo around the world and “cursed like a sailor”. We gave this two thumbs up! The second starred Robert Red-ford in “All is Lost.” This movie did get bashed a little by sail-ors, but I concluded this was a good one to watch and learn from an inexperienced sailor’s unfortunate mistakes. While we watched this movie, I would admire his Cal 39 and men-tally trimmed his sails. Brita would predict the next disaster resulting from Robert’s latest error. I was amused as those

Commodore’s signal

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2014 sFYC social events

Mark your calendars …here are the social events planned at

the dock this year, so we hope everyone participates!

May 31st Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examinations: Free Vessel Safety Checks – see inside for more details.

June 14th Moon Cruise #1Gather on the Harbor House porch and grill your own food. Enjoy a cold beer compliments of the SFYC and socialize a bit before setting sail around Cromwell Island beneath the silvery light of the celestial satellite!

June 21st Empty the Dock SaturdayGet out and RACE! Join the racing members for a free taste of KISSS Racing!

June 28th Welcome Back PotluckGet together on the porch to celebrate a new season of summer sailing and socializing! The potluck will preceded by the annual SFYC Mem-bership Meeting.

July 12th Moon Cruise #2So much fun, we’ll do it again. Grill and social-ize on the porch before casting off into the shimmering night light.

July 26th Voyage to the End of the DockJoin us at the end of the dock for a potluck with some great views!

August 9th Moon Cruise #3Grill on the porch. Gab a bit. Drift beneath the moon! You get the idea.

SUMMER 2014

doCK noTesdire predictions proved true and proud that she rec-ognized his poor seamanship and pointed out what he should have done. For example, an approaching storm is on the horizon. Do you go down below and shave, or shorten sails? If you are looking for the answer at the bottom of this page, then this year’s newsletter will be dedicated to you.

Granted, Brita and I have been sailing awhile, and we have learned from similar lessons I unintention-ally provided. Fortunately, the consequences from those lessons were less severe and we managed to learn something without sinking the boat. Lessons like these are the inspiration of this year’s newsletter which is devoted to safety. Jeremy Keene, Vice-Com-modore and publisher, has been charged to steer this year’s newsletter and I think he is especially qualified. Jeremy and Heather were adamant that their recent year-long sail with daughters, Thea and Shea, was not going to be a prequel to “All is Lost.” In this newsletter, Jeremy and contributors have shared their own experi-ences and provide stories and insight to safe sailing.

Insights and stories that even I have learned some-thing about: Flathead Lake may not have containers adrift, but we do have submerge large rocks, and that is something Roger Bergmeier has shared. And while we enjoy the sight of land 360 degrees around us, have you ever considered that if you are in the middle of the lake you could be over a mile from land? What if you found yourself without a boat? This happens more often than you think. What steps have you taken to handle or even prevent this predicament? How about an unfortunate accident on the boat and someone is hurt? This is when we realize how really slow our sail-

boats are.

I for one don’t like to consider these possibilities, but I know I must because once we cast off from the dock, the responsibility of the safety for crew and boat falls on me. And being prepared for such events will help me better respond and may even prevent them. Sailing should not be a life or death endeavor like it was 200 years ago, and we have a responsibility to our friends and families that entrust us as “Captains” to provide a safe, enjoyable experience while giving it a dash of adventure. So take a moment and prepare your “ditch bag” so that you have all the tools to handle any unfortunate events. More im-portantly, with the passing years the members of SFYC and friends of Dayton Harbor have become part of my family and I wish you a safe, enjoyable and adventurous summer.

Mark GilmoreS/V Seawolf

2013

Huge progress and wonderful improvements for all boaties this summer thanks to the tireless efforts of Buck and the crew

The launch ramp is now longer and wider which will mean an easier launch for all.

The water is on and useable in the new Harbor House which is now fully functional, including the commodes.

A new gin pole is being built which will make it possible to step and unstep even larger masts while boats are on their trailers. This will be located on the hard near the boat storage area.

A couple of important notes to pay attention to:

A new garbage area will be avail-able at the new Harbor house. Please be sure and use this new area in-stead of the old one we’re all accus-tomed to.

Please be aware that the old lawn area and brick BBQ are now off limits and are private property. We now have the new lawn and patio area for lounging and recre-ating.

Thanks to Buck and crew for all the improvements to Dayton Yacht Harbor which we are all sure to enjoy

andy Peasleys/V TBd

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dayton Yacht Harbor news Highlights 2014 aka:

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that is easy to navigate, that includes information for members and non-members, racing members and social members. We also are endeavoring to make the site pleasantly accessible via our mobile devices, since it’s not likely any of us are bringing our computers to the docks for the weekend. We created a thumbnail layout for the winter party so the board could see what we were up to and we are tweaking things as we move forward.

We hope to have the website live by the later part of May, southflatheadyachtclub.com, but this is being done in both of our spare time, so bear with us! We intend on launching a limited ver-sion of the site for 2014 that will include a home page with an event/race calendar on it, a racing specific page that will have race dates and results (after the steward is able to get them together) as well as an “About Us” page where people can contact the board members for info and updates. As we move forward into 2015 and beyond, some more bells and whistles will be added that. Stay tuned for said bells and aforementioned whistles.

Hawk’s company, pixelByDesign, is hosting the website for free. So when you see him please thank him for not only making my design actu-ally work, but for his selfless support of the Yacht Club.

Mike Lozar

S/V Nauti Dog

in 2013 we changed our

name and construc-tion began on the new harbor house.We also got a new logo, new burgee. Change was ob-viously in the air. With the new look completed we cast our eyes on the old South Flathead Sailing Association website (southflat-headsail ing.com) and it was obvi-ous that an over-haul was required. The original site was very heavy on the racing side of things and pretty light on…well the rest. To be fair, there

is a lot of information to be managed regarding racing and I for one am very glad that I’m not try-ing to manage it (thank you race committee and race stewards past, present and future). We just felt that there was some room for improvement.

How the heck do you build a webpage? Great question! Who’s got time to learn how to make one that’s attractive, intuitively arranged, func-tional and informative? Better question! To an-swer these questions, the captain of the Blue Pearl, Hawk Chilcote, mentioned at the Voyage to the End of the Dock party last year that he does website development and he could probably help us out. When I was in the Military I learned one thing (theoretically) “Never Volunteer. Your supe-riors will do it for you”. But Hawk ignored that and jumped to our rescue.

Hawk and I have been working together to cre-ate a website that will grow with the Yacht Club,

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Continued from Page 1

August 31st Labor Day Regatta DinnerJoin the feast! Whether you race, watch, or just like to eat, everyone is invited. The food is always great, and the company is even better!

September 6th End of the Season SocialSay goodbye to your fellow sailors with a last potluck on the porch of the season!

September 13th Dayton DazeJoin the Dayton Community for the parade and sign up to give sailboat rides!

January 31st 2015 Winter Dock PartyChart your course for the Loft in Downtown Mis-soula. Catch up with everyone and remember the warm days of summer with great food, music, and a spectacular slide show.

sFYC membership

Annual Membership Dues$25

SFYC Racing Fees (KISSS Races)$75

2014 sFYC social eventsThe Dayton Yacht Harbor Winter

Party is an annual event held in Missoula for current and recent slip-holders from Dayton Yacht Harbor and SFYC members.

Saturday, February 15th, Pat Montgomery hosted

the 2014 Winter Party at The Loft in downtown Missoula. About 60 people attended the party and everyone had a great time. Pat was joined by mu-sician friends Carla Green on bass and Matthew Buffett on keyboards and provided great enter-tainment throughout the evening. For those of you who were concerned that Pat’s accident last year would affect his beautiful saxophone music, he didn’t miss a beat! (Pun intended!)

The potluck dinner was fantastic! SFYC again provided some of the liquid refreshments. Thank you to Keg Master Mike Lozar for handling the keg arrangements and making an excellent choice.

Thanks to all who provided the sailing pictures that cycled through on the flat-screen TV. We had a lot of great photos and it was a really fun ad-dition to the party. We will do it again next year, so please get your CD of pictures (recent and not so recent) to Leslie Wetherbee by the end of the 2014 season.

We have already reserved the date for the 2015 Winter Party, so be sure to get it on your calen-dars! You won’t want to miss it!

2015 Winter Party – saturday, January 31 at The loft in downtown missoula

A big thank you to Pat Montgomery for hosting the Winter Party!

Leslie WetherbeeS/V Blow’n Away

BUY A BURGEE, SHOW YOUR COLORS!BUY A BURGEE, SHOW YOUR COLORS!

These high-quality burgees ARE, made locally by our friends at TAYLOr Sailmakers

available for

$25with your SFYC

membership

available for

$25with your SFYC

membership

6

doCK noTes

sFYC 2014 missionSouth Flathead Yacht Club is based in Dayton, Montana. Our purpose is to promote the sport of sailing on Flathead Lake. We are a group of people who love to sail, enjoy helping out, socializing, and becoming better sailors. Whether you like to race, cruise, or just socialize, we encourage you to be part of our organization.

our mission is simple:Promote the sport of sailingPromote boating safetyProvide educational opportunities to improve boating skillsPromote cruising and sailboat racingPromote and foster social activity and fellowship among members of the boating community

SFYC is a member of US Sailing. We provide insurance for sailing events and regattas, own and maintain a committee boat for race events, and hire a race steward to run the races. We are mem-bers of the Flathead Lakers and work to help protect water quality in Flathead Lake.SFYC has an application pending to become a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Once the applica-tion is approved, your donation will be tax deductible and we can apply for grants which promote our organization’s goals.

What’s a burgee? A burgee is a distinguishing flag signifying your home

club or boating organization. Sailing vessels fly the burgee from the main masthead or from a lanyard under the starboard spreader. Power boats fly the burgee off a short staff on the bow. Proper etiquette is to fly your club’s burgee while underway and at anchor, day or night, but not while racing. Traditionally, the first time a member of one yacht club visits another, there is an exchange of burgees. Exchanged burgees are then often displayed on the club’s premises, e.g., in the office or bar.

BUY A BURGEE, SHOW YOUR COLORS!BUY A BURGEE, SHOW YOUR COLORS!

These high-quality burgees ARE, made locally by our friends at TAYLOr Sailmakers

available for

$25with your SFYC

membership

available for

$25with your SFYC

membership

7

during the early spring, most of us spend some time cleaning the house, clearing up the yard

and generally getting things in condition for the summer months. So it is with our boats. They, too, have been in a somewhat hibernated state for sev-eral months and will now be asked to perform for us as if nothing had happened.

Well, something usually HAS happened to our boats! For those of us who parked their boats on land, there is work to do.

Go over the electrical system from the batteries to the generator to the appliances or lights they support to make sure everything works. You may only need to top off the water levels in your batter-ies. There are gauges (hydrometer) that you can use to measure the health of your batteries or take it to a garage or marina for the testing. Better to find out about the health now than to have a battery death while on the water.

Check the oil level. Actually, if the engine has not been run much during the winter, you might want to go ahead and change the oil. Oil gets bad just sitting there.

If you have an outboard, make sure the fuel line is intact and does not leak. Those rubber hoses and squeeze bulbs take a hit from sunshine, and from the fuel itself. They do not have a lengthy life. While I/Os and inboards have less of a problem, they also need checking. The same applies to any propane tanks and their lines.

If you have not run your engine for some time, don’t be too sur-prised that it won’t start or runs poorly once started. Suspect your fuel supply! Most of our engines run on auto gas, which does not have a long shelf life. Just sit-ting there for several months the gas is likely to have hatched all sorts of bad stuff that gum up fuel lines, carburetors, spark plugs and fuel jets.

There are additives to help alleviate this problem, but they really should have been added at the start of the winter. In any event, you may want to top the tank off with fresh gas at the start of the boat-ing season. Next winter store the boat with a full tank and use the additive.

Make sure your radio works, if you have one. If you don’t, consider buying one! A VHF marine radio is a real safety item. You can get a good handheld for less than one hundred dollars.

Check all of your lines to make sure they have not frayed or torn. (Those are ropes that when you put them on a boat they are called lines – there now, you have some nautical knowledge.) If they are, consider replacement. Don’t forget the anchor rode. (That’s a line that when attached to your anchor is called a rode. Now you are really over-educated.)

Likewise, check the life jackets and throwables. If they are worn or badly faded, consider replace-ment. They kind of need to work the first time, every time!

Well, you get the picture. Check everything! Ei-ther do it yourself if you can or take it to your local marina or boat mechanic.

The last item to check and probably the most im-portant is you – the Captain and your crew. You’re the glue that holds everything together. The best kept boat in the world is not a safe one if the crew doesn’t know how to operate it or follow the rules of a marine environment (fresh water counts as one).

A good way to make sure you and your boat are ready for the season is to have a Vessel Safety Check conducted by a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel inspector. You can arrange for one at the Dayton Yacht Harbor Saturday, May 31. See the related article in this newsletter.

Submitted by Chris Roberts FSO-PA 130-10-05Missoula DetachmentUSCG-AUX

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spring is in the air, someplace, and us sailors are itching to work on our boats

in preparation for another season of sailing. Perhaps the first thing we do is check the paint job on the hull and keel. Perhaps the first thing we notice is the scratch on the keel or maybe a dent down at the bottom. You probably know where that came from. It came from a rock that you did not know about. There are several other sailors that may not know about it as well. Maybe some well-grounded information would help prevent some of those scratches and dents in your keel or some embarrassment at the evening picnic.

If you are fortunate enough to be afloat early in the sailing season, the level of Flathead Lake may not be at full pool on the 15th of June. By law it must be at 2891 feet by the first of June. That’s two feet below full pool.

The attached map has corresponding numbers for the hazards identified in this article. So let’s go find some rocks to avoid around Flathead Lake.

Starting at the dock at Dayton and going east along the shore, most of us know about the reef running out from the point just north of the dock (1). There are also several rocks offshore east of there (2). Our advice is to stay outside of the mooring balls located there.

Going further east you need to avoid the shoal that is marked by the red light just off shore near the east end of Dayton Bay (3). Sailing around the corner into Rollins Bay and further north to Dewey’s Bay there are at least three huge rock cribs just off the southern shore near the east end of the bay (4). The change in the water color near the shore is a warning indicator but the cribs ex-tend well out from the shore.

Going further east towards Cedar and Shelter Islands, the shoals south of both islands (5) extend quite a ways south, thanks to glaciers. Further north to Miller Point are the Douglas Islands. The rock pile east of the main Douglas Island (6) is not marked and is hard to see until you get close. Turning west into Table Bay be aware there is a a “dead head” log at the entrance to the bay (7). It is marked by a gallon jug tied to the log. The log seems to move around a bit so do not assume its in the same place all the time.

It’s safe sailing up to Somers Bay as long as you stay away from shore a reasonable distance. Just southeast of the entrance to the NFYC dock there is a rock pile marked with a red light at night that is hard to see during the day (8). Even some of the sailors from the NFYC have hit it. Sailing east from Somers along the north end of the lake is the Flathead River delta (9). The change from deeper water to the delta area is abrupt. You go from 25 feet of depth to 6 feet in a hurry. The prob-lem here is not so much the shallow water as the tree stumps that stick up too close to the surface. When the lake level was raised with the Kerr Dam the area that is now the delta was logged. The larch trees were cut off well above the ground due to their butt swell at their base. Its best to sail well south of the delta before going northeast towards Bigfork. If you’re planning to go up the Flathead River to Eagle Bend (10) you need to fol-

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Continued on Page 10

AroundTHE LAKE

First some general rules:· Not all rocks are in shallow, close to shore waters.

· Not all rocks or reefs are identified with lights or marks

· Not all rocks are identified on charts

· Not all rocks can be spotted based on the color of the water

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10

low the marker buoys to get into the river chan-nel itself. I strongly recommend not going there at night as the marks are hard to see and who knows what is coming down the river.

Sailing south from Bigfork, the water along shore is very deep with few boulders to be con-cerned about when the lake is at full pool. Ex-cept for shallow waters off the points of Woods Bay (11) and Yellow Bay (12). I know of no hidden rocks until you get to the bottom or south end of Skidoo Bay (13). Several large boulders come within two or three feet of the surface. Be care-ful when sailing there. Going back north and north of Finley Point and to the east and south of Bare Belly Island, there are shallow areas (14) to avoid. Moving back west towards Bull Island there is a large marked pile of rocks (15) just north of the narrows. When avoiding those rocks be careful not to get too close to the east side of the small island west of those rocks. The gravel reef (16) there extends quite a long way to the east. If you like, you can look for the groove I left there a few years ago.

Speaking of Bull Island, there is a channel between the island and the reef (17) that runs straight south of the east end of the island. That channel however is flanked by a huge boxcar size boulder (18) on the south and a row of

somewhat smaller rocks projecting out from the shore (19). Beware also that the reef run-ning south from Bull Island goes well south of the marker on the reef. Several members of the SFYC have nice hats to indicate they have stopped there.. . no T-shirts, however.

I must admit that I have not sailed much along the east and west shores of Polson Bay. Most of the bay is twenty feet deep or less and is flat as a pancake after the last glacier re-ceded. I am not aware of any big rocks there, but there might be. Heading north of Bull Island most every one is aware of the rocks off of Black, Matterhorn and White Swan Points (20). Matterhorn is the point with the old gas station sign on it. That reef runs out a long way. A safe line of travel runs from the south edge of Wild-horse Island to the north end of Bird Island.

Traveling west along the south shore of Big Arm Bay watch out for the rocks poking up near Bootlegger Island (21). It is marked with a light but it tends to sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention. Continuing on west, avoid the shoal projecting off the southeast end of Melita Island (22). Sailing along that shore, it’s gener-ally hazard-free until about 800 feet west of the entrance to the Sail In Marina (23). There is a large rock that comes within four feet of the surface. It is just out from a little white house on shore.

Heading north across the bay to Cromwell Island keep to the west side of the white mark-er that is about three hundred feet out from the southwest corner of the island (24). There is about ten feet of water under the buoy but there are several large rocks just inside the buoy that come up to within four or five feet of the surface. I have hit one of those rocks and have grounded on the gravel east of there twice.. . once on a Moon Cruise, which is why my wife Sue calls it the “Are you happy now?” rock.

Well, we made it around the lake in our virtual tour without running aground. I am sure there are other navigation hazards out there that you may know about, so let me know and I’ll add it to the list.

Roger BergmeierS/V Ruby Yacht II

ROCKINGAround THE LAKE: continued

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most good stories start with the words “It was a dark and stormy night . . . .”. For SFYC member, Pat Montgomery, it was actually a sunny nice day when his story started. By the

time it was over with, Pat had half of his finger forcibly ripped off, a dislocated shoulder, and broken shoulder bones.

“What in the world happened?” was my first reaction upon hearing the news. “Where, you mean on Flathead Lake? No way!” Pat’s story has a warning for us all. Here’s what happened.

Pat sailed his Capri 22 from the dock at Dayton over to a friend’s dock in Skidoo Bay for a relaxing dinner and some socializing. He didn’t have his heavy dock lines and snubbers with him. Like all of us, they were back on the dock and pilings back at Dayton. No worries, he used a couple of small lines. No big deal, he was just there for dinner, right?

Well, partway through dinner a nasty storm blew in from the North. With 30 miles of fetch, the waves were big and powerful. Pat and his friends all went down to the boat, which was now bucking like a rodeo horse. The force of the waves had ripped out the aft port cleat clean off of his boat’s deck. Pat jumped on board and was starting to add some extra lines when a surprisingly big wave knocked him down, and the thin rope became coiled around his finger. When the boat surged, in a blink of an eye, the force actually severed half of his finger.

“I looked down and saw my finger gone. In its place, the blood was gushing like a fountain,” he recalled. At that point, he knew he needed help from his friends who were watching hor-rified from the dock. So he lunged for the dock and slipped, landing awkwardly on his left shoulder. In another instant, two more injuries.. . a dislocated shoulder and a broken clavicle.

His friends were able to get the bleeding stopped and quickly transport him to the hospital in Polson. After numerous medical procedures and surgeries, he’s back on his feet and look-ing forward to the upcoming sailing season. Besides the pain he had to deal with, it also took quite a bit of physical therapy and hard work to recover from his injuries. He even had to have his beloved Saxophone rebuilt to accommodate one less finger! Interestingly, his surgeon in Missoula happened to be a sailor, too . . . and has the exact same boat as Pat, a Capri 22.

Are there a couple of safety reminders for the rest of us in Pat’s story?- Bad things can happen to any one of us. Pat had sailed for 26 years without any mishaps.- Bad things can happen very very quickly and with little warning.- Minor missteps (e.g., docking without the right dock lines) can quickly compound and cause

big problems.

When you see Pat walking the docks this summer, or playing his saxophone at one of our social functions, be sure offer a warm smile . . . and maybe a left-handed handshake. His right hand is still a bit sore!

Mark BratzS/V New Girl on the Dock

BoaTing saFeTY

Can Change Your Life20 Seconds

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anyone who has probed the limits of their draft up the mouth of the Flathead River, or eyed the low clear-

ance at the Polson Bridge, has probably wondered what it would be like to go further – to sail over the horizon in search of new places and new adventures. For all the spectacular beauty of Flathead Lake, we are landlocked on our little pond. Who hasn’t thought of putting their boat on a trailer and hauling it to faraway places?

We started wondering about this when sailing was new to us and the idea of travelling on the water held a cer-tain romantic appeal. We cut our teeth learning to sail on

Flathead, racing and exploring the lake. Our kids have grown up on the boat – for them heeling over 20 degrees is as natural as riding a bike.

Then I read Cruising in Seraffyn, the classic Lin and Larry Pardey book. When I was finished, I handed the book to Heather and said, “Read this. If you don’t want to go cruising when you’re done, I’ll never mention it again.” The rest is history. We were hooked.

That was the beginning of a ten year plan – to take a year off and go cruising. The logistics were daunting – kids, jobs, mortgages, and not least of all the boat. We knew our little San Juan 7.7 was not going to do the job of a full time liveaboard, but is it possible to take a lake boat cruising?

Naturally, safety was our number one concern. The boat had to be seaworthy and built for the rigors of the ocean. And it had to be small enough to trailer to the coast. But there was more to it than that – if I was going to take my family out on the open ocean, I wanted two things: a boat that sailed well and a boat that I knew inside and out.

We settled on Chinook, a 1978 Ranger 33 that spent the better part of the last ten years ne-glected on the hard in Dayton. Buying a boat in Montana gave us two summers to get to know her and refit for cruising. So we set about making our lake boat into a liveaboard cruiser.

What Worked... and What didn’tEvery boat is a compromise. The Ranger 33 is not a cruising boat. Gary Mull designed the R33

to appeal to the cruiser’s market, but he didn’t compromise her sailing ability with the added volume and amenities of a full-blown cruiser. The result is a moderate displacement boat with a narrow beam and an efficient interior that’s about the size of our kitchen.

Condensing our lives into our kitchen was no small task. Our girls were 14 and 8, and while they don’t take up as much space as full grown adults, they come with a lot of stuff! We wanted to be self-sufficient for up to two weeks, so on top of all of our personal belongings, we had to carry enough food, water, and fuel for four people.

The BasicsWe started by checking all the through-hulls and replacing the old gate-valve seacocks. While

we were at it, we re-plumbed all the bilge hoses, cockpit drains, and added two new bilge pumps. I spent a lot of time with Don Casey’s This Old Boat. One of his many good ideas is to install a small bilge pump for everyday work, and a larger pump for emergencies. The larger pump is mounted about 6 inches above the bottom of the bilge, so it stays dry most of the time.

Chinook’s rigging was of indeterminate age, and while the stainless wire looked good, a care-ful survey of the fittings revealed cracks starting to form at the turnbuckles. So she got all new standing rigging, lifelines, and roller furling. While the mast was down, we ran new wiring and

13

replaced the masthead light with a new combination LED tri-color navigation/anchor light.

With limited space on board, we didn’t have room to carry multiple sails. Our 100% jib on the furler was a great working sail, easy to handle, and had plenty of power for cruising. We carried our 150% genoa, but it only went on once, for the races in Georgetown (which we won). But the larger sail was just too much to handle when the wind was up, and the shape was poor when partially furled. We also carried a 0.75 oz. spinnaker, which earned its place on several light air days when we were able to continue sailing rather than turning on the motor, including one 50-mile passage when the water pump failed.

down BelowInside, we made things as simple as possible. We

ditched the old pressure water system in favor of foot-pumps (less power and less water) and re-placed the leaking holding tank with a composting toilet. The R33 doesn’t have a propane locker, so after much debate, we went with a non-pressurized alcohol stove and no oven. We learned alcohol is not as efficient as propane, but it’s reliable and rea-sonably safe. Unlike propane, alcohol evaporates quickly and won’t build up explosively in the bot-tom of your boat. We also learned with the right pan you can make strange looking donut shaped cookies and cakes on the stovetop.

For power, we focused on reducing demand so we wouldn’t have to run the engine to charge the batteries. We swapped out all the lights with LED’s, which worked well and were incredibly efficient.

For refrigeration, we went with a portable freezer, which was about the size of a standard cooler and tucked securely into the quarter berth. We considered trying to convert the poorly insulated “ice box” to a refrigerator, but the portable unit was easier and less costly. The freezer drew about 5 amps when running and made enough ice for one cool drink each day.

For batteries, we had two 100 amp-hour deep cycle gel batteries for the house and one 70 amp-hour battery for starting the engine. The battery banks are isolated with a switch, so there’s no way to accidentally draw down the starting battery watching movies on the computer. We charged the bat-teries with two 140-watt solar panels mounted on an arch over the stern. Finding a location for solar panels is a challenge on a smaller boat. After a lot of deliberation, I built an arch out of 1” aluminum tubing and speed rail fittings, which were through-bolted to the deck so it could be removed later. This worked well, giving the panels a good location with minimal shading, and additional hand holds and shade for the cockpit. For the most part, the solar panels kept up with our day-to-day needs and we rarely had to run the engine to top up the batteries.

The iron ginnyI like to think sailboats don’t need engines, but the truth is, unless you are extraordinarily patient,

or an extremely clever sailor, you need a reliable engine. Chinook’s 35-year-old Atomic 4 was a ma-jor source of concern prior to the trip, and continued to be a source of bloody knuckles and bad language in front of the kids. But it got the job done and I didn’t meet anyone along the way that didn’t have a story about their engine breaking down – and their boats cost a lot more than ours!

The only advice I have about engines is bring spares and be prepared to install them yourself. In remote places, mechanics and boatyards are few and far between, and the cost of ship-ping parts can be staggering. Your ability to be self-reliant will greatly enhance your ability to keep cruising when things inevitably break. I knew enough about engines to find my way around. With a good manual and some patient friends on the phone, I know a whole lot more now than I did when we left.

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getting the gearLiving aboard and cruising requires far more

stuff than weekending on the lake. We carried three anchors, extra rode, a sea parachute, man-overboard pole, strobe, lifesling, throwable PFD, harnesses, tethers, jacklines, a ditch bag with ex-tra flares, emergency provisions, a hand-pump water maker, and an ACR locating beacon. Most of this we borrowed from friends, and most of this we never used, but it was peace of mind hav-ing these things along.

Our working anchor was a 35-pound Manson with 50 feet of chain. This worked very well, but next time, I’d get at least 100 feet of chain. In Florida and the Bahamas, you typically anchor in shallow water. With 100 feet, you are on all chain rode and don’t have to worry about chafe. I would dive on the anchor to make sure we had a good set. Not only was this fun, but it gives you a good visual of how the anchor and chain work together.

We carried an 8’ inflatable dinghy which we called “Time Out”. If your boat is your home, then your dinghy is your car. The dinghy becomes your grocery getter, water hauler, socializer, and escape pod. We had a borrowed 1974 Evinrude 4 hp outboard, which ran like a champ, and was easy to lift on and off, but was a little underpowered with all four in the dinghy. Next time, a hard bottom dinghy with a slightly bigger motor.

Storing the dinghy is always an issue. I don’t like towing and since the dinghy was also our life raft, I didn’t like the idea of deflating it. So we carried the dinghy on the foredeck, which ren-dered the foredeck treacherous, and didn’t allow the forward hatch to open, making the interior hot and muggy.

Navigation was all GPS. We carried paper charts and dutifully plotted our position on long passages, but in all honesty, we would have been lost without GPS. That doesn’t mean you don’t use your eyes. In the Bahamas, the Explorer Charts were decent, but you navigate by water color. “Green and brown, going aground...”

We had good results using the built in GPS on our iPad and iPhones in a protective waterproof case, but battery life is an issue on long passages, so I ended up buying a basic Garmin chart-plotter to mount at the helm. While the screen wasn’t as nice as the iPad, it was very reliable and durable.

We purchased a new VHF radio with built-in GPS and distress signal. This served as a backup GPS and had good VHF range with the antenna mounted at the top of the mast. We had a hand-held VHF for the cockpit, but next time, I’d get the remote mic and hailer. The handheld doesn’t have the range, and the fix-mounted VHF inside the companionway was difficult to hear from

the helm.

One of our most important pieces of equipment was an inexpensive portable SSB radio. It would have been nice to have a full-blown SSB radio on board with trans-mitting capability, but with a $2,000-3,000 price tag, it was cost-prohibitive to install. The portable unit, which we borrowed from a neighbor, let us get weather fore-casts and listen to the cruisers nets anywhere we went.

Another expensive item we chose to live without was radar. For longer passages, or areas with a lot of fog, I can see the advantages, but we did fine without. An inexpensive alternative is AIS, which lets you see oth-er ships broadcasting their position over the VHF. This

Continued on Page 17

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Whether your boat, power or sail, is in the water or on land, Flotilla 5 offers a free safety inspection of your vessel. In addition, the USCG-Aux will also inspect “tow-ins” (boats on trailers) for any boat owner who

brings their boat to the Dayton Yacht Harbor that day. An inspection is a short 15-25 minutes depending on the size and type of boat. By contacting us in advance you can reserve a time for your inspection. Kyle Boyce: kyle.boyce47@gmail.com or 728-6753; Chris roberts: croberts@powwowcountry.com or 549-3090

In order to facilitate a speedy US Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Check, the following summary of the items checked can be used to prepare for the inspection. The details below are not complete. The items marked with an asterisk (*) are also included in a Lake County Sheriff’s inspection (obtained in 2013).

1. NUMBERING: Characters must be plain, vertical, block style, at least 3inches high, and in a contrasting color to the boat. A space or hyphen (–) must separate numbers from letters

2. REGISTRATION/DOCUMENTATION: Registration or Documentation papers must be on board and available

3. LIFE JACKETS (PFDs): A U.S. Coast Guard approved PDF of suitable size is required for each person on the boat and be “readily accessible”. Boats 16 feet and longer also have one Type IV (throwable) device which is “immedi-ately available.”

4. VISUAL DISTRESS SIGNALS: It is recommended that boats operating on inland waters should have some means of making a suitable day and night distress signal.

5. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: Fire extinguishers are required if any of the following are present: 1) Inboard engine(s), 2) Double bottomed hulls not completely sealed or filled with floatation material, 3) Closed living Space, 4) Closed storage compartments that contain flammable materials, or 5) Permanently installed fuel tanks. Fire extinguishers must be readily accessible and serviceable.

Boat length < 26’ 1 B-I26’ to less than 40’ 2 B-I or 1 B-II40’ to 65 ‘ 3 B-I or 1 B-I and 1 B-IIBoats with fixed systems require one less B-1.

6. VENTILATION: Boats with gasoline engines in closed compartments must have powered ventilation.

7. BACKFIRE FLAME ARRESTER: Required on all gasoline powered inboard/outboard or inboard motor

8. SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE: All boats must carry a sound producing device (whistle, horn, siren, etc) and a bell if over 39.5 feet.

9. NAVIGATION LIGHTS: Boats 16 feet and longer must have properly installed, working navigation lights and an all-around anchor light capable of being lit independent-ly from the red/green/white “running” lights

10. POLLUTION PLACARD: Boats 26 feet and over

11. MARPOL TRASH PLACARD: Boats 26 feet and over (not required on inland lakes).

12. MARINE SANITATION DEVICE: For installed toilets the overboard discharge outlets must be sealed.

13. NAVIGATION RULES: required on Boats 39.4 feet and over.

14. STATE AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS: In Montana, per-manent decal and validation decal immediately aft of the identification numbers.

15. OVERALL BOAT CONDITION:A. Deck free of hazards and clean bilge. B. Electrical and Fuel Systems; Batteries must be secured and terminals covered to prevent accidental arcing.All PWCs require an operating self-circling or kill switch.Portable fuel tanks must be secured and have a vapor-tight, leak-proof cap. Each permanent fuel tank must be properly vented.C. Galley and Heating Systems. System and fuel tanks must be properly secured.

For more and complete information visit:http://SafetySeal.net

BoaTing saFeTY

Is your boatCOR R ECTLY IDENTIFIED?

Unders tanding Montana’s required boat decals

Montana requires two decals to identify your boat:

Learn more at fwp.mt.gov

Permanent decalPay a one-time fee to your County Treasurer.Decal is valid for as long as you own your boat.Display this decal on the le (port) bow behind the boat’sidentification numbers.If a boat is sold or transferred, the new owner must register and obtain a new permanent decal at the localCounty Treasurer’s o ce

Validation decalValidation decals are free, and expire in 2017.New boat owners can obtain a validation decal from theirCounty Treasurer when registering a new boat. Current boat owners can obtain a validation decal from any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks o ce, or on-line at: fwp.mt.gov/ fishing/ boatdecals .html

Information from your Boat Registration and Payment Receipt are neededin order to get your decal.

You will receive two validation decals. Display one validation decal on each side of your boat’s bow, a of the identification numbers.

Montana Validation Decal

Permanent Decal

Montana Validation Decal

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was great to have, out in the dark ocean, when we were trying to figure out which way those lights were headed. AIS gives you position, heading, and speed, as well as the name of the ship if you need to hail them. All large commercial ships are re-quired to broadcast AIS now, although few cruis-ing and fishing boats have it.

We worried a lot about communicating with our friends and family back home. While we were in US waters, we almost always had cell phone cov-erage. With a basic data plan and a smart phone, you have pretty much all you need to check your email, skype, or surf the internet.

Outside the US, coverage is spotty and much more expensive. After crossing over to the Baha-mas, I sent one email to my Mom to let her know we had arrived safely. While I was sending this small bit of data, my iPhone took the opportunity to upload all sorts of pictures and messages on the international data roaming plan, which net-ted us a bill of over $400 from AT&T! Fortunate-ly, AT&T forgave this mistake, and let us off for about 60 bucks instead.

After that, we stuck to finding WiFi for inter-

net access. We had a Wirie long range antenna, which allowed us to pick up wifi from as much as a mile away, but it wasn’t always possible to find a free connection, and the pay sites are expensive. In the end, we just learned to live without it. It’s not why you go cruising anyway, and it was much more fun to go into town, have lunch, visit with the locals, and catch up on your email.

With the sails balanced going upwind, Chinook will hold a course for hours with little or no cor-rection. But off the wind, she requires constant attention at the helm, which is taxing on the crew. So another essential piece of gear was a Rayma-rine wheel pilot, which tirelessly steered through the long passages.

All this stuff translated to weight. Before we left, we added four inches to Chinook’s waterline, but she still sat well below her lines when fully provisioned. Surprisingly, this did not affect her sailing abilities very much. We were able to make hull speed with 10-15 knots of wind, and regu-larly clocked 7’s and 8’s with following seas. This let us make our crossings quickly, before the next weather front came through. And we used less fuel. On our passage from Marathon, Florida, to the Bahamas, we travelled 36 hours on less than

5 gallons of fuel!

The importance of Your CrewMaking crossings in rough seas, with big ships

and other boats out there in the dark, puts stress on your crew. Knowing how well you function un-der pressure is a big deal. One of the best things we did to get ready for cruising? We raced.

Racing puts you in situations you may not oth-erwise be in. It pushes your limits. It tests your crew. When things go wrong, does the crew mu-tiny while you yell? Or can you pull it together and persevere? These questions get answered at the least convenient times – in the dark, with a thunderstorm bearing down when the autopilot unexpectedly jibes the main, and you no longer know which direction the boat is headed.

We didn’t have a lot of bluewater experience, but our time on the race course paid dividends. When things got rough, everybody pitched in, and everybody understood their roles and responsi-bilities. Most importantly, I understood that as Captain, my job was to stay calm and give clear instructions to my crew.

Another thing we learned was waiting for

weather. One of the most dangerous things in cruising is a schedule. Your boat will handle a surprising amount of abuse. Your crew will not. We learned quickly, for the trip to be enjoyable, and safe, we had to pick our windows carefully.

Waiting for weather became a kind of ritual for us that was both enjoyable – some of the best friends we made along the way came when we were holed up waiting for weather – and stressful – the longer we waited, the more nervous I got.

it Can Be doneBottom line, taking your lake boat cruising is a

challenge, but with a little planning and persever-ance, it is entirely doable. Sailing coastal waters brings on a whole new list of challenges – navi-gating, shipping traffic, tides, currents, radio.. . But one thing we learned: Flathead Lake sailors know how to sail. We deal with fickle winds, ever-chang-ing conditions, and sudden storms. On the ocean, the conditions can be more extreme, but they are more predictable and consistent. We found our lake sailing (and racing) experience valuable to sailing on the ocean. Sailing (and racing) on the lake is great training for the next level. And tak-ing a boat you know well is a huge advantage.

For more on the adventures of Chinook, visit our blog www.facebook.com/SVChinook and watch for the documentary coming this summer from Mot-ley Studios.

Jeremy KeeneS/V Chinook

CONTINUED

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The race committee has met about once a month since the first of the year. Probably our most im-

portant (and easiest) accomplishment was setting the race schedule, which appears to the right on this page.

Kisss races: For those who may not know, KISSS

stands for Keep It Simple Saturday Series. South Flat-head has run it since 2000. It’s intended to be a non-threatening low-key way to get into or stay into racing. Everyone is welcome regardless of experience. If you’ve never raced but want to learn, contact any member of the race committee. You can race for the first time on one of our boats or one of us will crew on your boat and walk you through a few races.

After much discussion, we are going to try a new scor-ing system. In the past we’ve used a traditional low-point system and counted each boat’s ten best results out of approximately 30 race starts (three a weekend). This year we will try a high point system: In buoy races there are five points for the first place boat, four for sec-ond, three for third, two for fourth and one for everyone else. Distance races pay seven, six, five, four, three, and two for being there. All races count and you get noth-ing if you don’t show up. In the past, it was possible to race 4 out of 10 weekends and, if you won every race, still win the whole thing. The new system rewards par-ticipation as well as results.

Because of calendar vagaries, there will be fewer

race Committee report

2014 raCe sCHedUle

June 21: KISSS Race 1

June 28: KISSS Race 2

June 29: Trestle to Trestle race

July 5: KISSS Race 3

July 12: KISSS Race 4

July 19: KISSS Race 5

July 26: Flathead Cup (formerly “Race till you Puke)

July 27: Wildhorse island distance race

August 2/3: montana Cup (NFYC)

August 9: KISSS Race 6

August 16: KISSS Race 7

August 23: KISSS Race 8

August 31- September 1: labor day re-gatta

September 6: KISSS Race 9

September 7: all islands distance race

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Kisss races than most years: Nine weekends instead of ten. Most weekends we have had three windward-leeward races. While that will probably remain the predominant format, we plan to mix in some other op-tions -- distance races, pursuit, and some different course configurations. Variety should make things more interesting from week to week and also give some boats that don’t do well in light-air, windward-leeward races a chance to be more competitive.

race steward: We are looking for one (or two) race stewards and have several interested candidates at the moment but nothing definite as yet. We are leaning toward having two so no one is locked in every weekend all summer and possibly so we can have more year-to-year continuity. We also need at least two for the Flathead Cup weekend that includes Wild Horse Island in July and the Labor Day Regatta. If you know someone who might be interested or if you are interested (someone from the dock would be great) let Bill Brown know (240-5667 or mthorsevet@gmail.com). The job pays $10-$12/hr. If someone does the whole thing (13 race days and some non-race-day work doing results), they can expect to earn around $1200 for the season. Candidates must be at least 18 years old to keep us on the right side of child labor laws. Apparently power boats are considered dangerous equipment.

Flathead Cup: It was obvious to anyone paying attention that last year’s unfortunately named “Race Till You Puke Regatta” offended the weather gods, who showed their displeasure by delivering what may have been the oddest wind conditions in the history of Dayton Bay racing. Since sacrificing a virgin (even if one could be found) to placate the gods has gone out of style, we thought we’d rename the affair the Flathead Cup and try again. The last Saturday in July will be a day of buoy racing, followed on Sunday by the Wild Horse Island Race. Wild Horse Island will once again be a pursuit race. We are hoping that Montana Cup competitors from other areas can be enticed to come a week early and get two weekends of racing out of one trip. Ten Spoon Winery will sponsor the Flathead Cup on Saturday and Western Montana Equine will sponsor the Wild Horse Island Race.

Committee Boat: Since I blew the engine on last year’s excellent committee boat while setting the La-

bor Day Regatta distance race marks, the club has been boatless. The damaged boat is supposed to be repowered in time for the season, but no guarantees. If anyone knows of a suitable replacement, ideally available as a loan or a donation (remember, SFYC is about to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit), let Mark Gilmore know. Our only backup is the old MSA boat with its monster outboard that runs when it feels like it and boasts gallons-per-mile fuel economy.

Those are the highlights. See you on the start line. Starboard!

Bill Brown

VOLUNTEERVOLUNTEER

! TODAY !

EVERYONE LOVES A

We can always use help. This organization is run by volunteers – this works best when lots of people pitch in. There are many oppor-tunities to help out, we are looking for volunteers to coordinate and help out with administration duties as well as events. If you would like to find out more, contact one of our Officers or Board Members.

Our Annual Membership Meeting is June 28th at 4:00 pm at the New Harbor House. We hope you will attend!

in memory…We lost two good friends this year.

martha Yale passed away in April from Parkinson’s disease. She dealt with Parkinson’s for a num-

ber of years and managed to lead a relatively normal life. Even when it became more difficult for her to get around and she had to be on oxygen, you would still often see her kayaking around the dock and sailing with Keith on their boat, Garnet Beauty. She went into a steep decline around the first of April. Her husband, Keith, said the end was quite fast and peaceful.

Martha Yale

Tom AbelTom Abel passed away in March after suffering a heart attack. Tom was a longtime member

of the North Flathead Yacht Club and a regular at race events in Dayton. We could always count on Tom and his big blue girl, Maria, for some good competition and first class sailing.

Tom and Martha will be missed around the dock and on the race course.

2014 MEMBERSHIP FORM Skipper ____________________________ Mate _______________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ City ____________________State/Province_______ Zip/Postal Code____________ Country ________________ Phone #1 (_____)____________________ Phone #2 (_____)_____________________ E-mail #1 __________________________ E-mail #2___________________________ Boat Make and Model __________________________________ Color ___________ Boat Name ____________________________________________ Length __________ MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:

Make checks payable to South Flathead Yacht Club. Mail form and remittance to: South Flathead Yacht Club

P.O. Box 2955 Missoula, MT 59806

______________________________________________________________________________ WILLING TO HELP? Check one or more. Social Activities ____ Newsletter ____ Race Committee ____ Regatta Events ____ Photo/Hist. ____ Cruising events ____ Education ____ Crewing ____ Other______________ I hereby pledge that my mate, crew and I will comply with all Montana State Parks and Recreation, Dayton Yacht Harbor and SFYC rules and regulations and will promote the fellowship enjoyed by all boating enthusiasts. I further agree to become involved when I observe anything that is not in accord with good water safety practice or any theft or vandalism of any dock patrons, state or marina property. I hereby release the SFYC from all liability for personal injury or property damage incurred by myself, my family, crew or guests while participating in any SFSA activities. I hereby certify that I have liability insurance which protects me, my family, crew, guests and/or others from damage or injury caused by me or my agents and will provide proof of this insurance upon request. SIGNATURE: ______________________________ DATE: _____________________

2014 Dues: $ 25 Annual Membership $ 75 Racing Fees for KISSS Races $100 Total Racing & Membership ($25 for Social Membership Only)

Check here to order a burgee for $25.00. Please include payment.

22

SFYC Board of Directors and Officers

Mark Gilmore, CommodoreS/V Seawolfmark@powwowcountry.com406.240.4917

Jeremy Keene, Vice CommodoreS/V Chinookjkeene@wgmgroup.com406.240.6721

Leslie Wetherbee, TreasurerS/V Blow’n Awaylesliej78@msn.com406.880.4537

Mike Lozar, SecretaryS/V Nauti Dogmisharozap@me.com406.314.2767

Roger BergmeierS/V Rubyacht IIrogerbergmeier@gmail.com

Bill BrownS/V Dream Catchermthorsevet@gmail.com

Tom SuttonS/V Sverre Jtombec@bresnan.net

Andy PeasleyS/V TBDawpeasley@yahoo.com

sFYC Committees

race CommitteeBill Brown, Committee ChairRoger BergmeierMark GilmoreSteve ConnellAndy SponsellerJohn RimelTom SuttonJeremy Keene education CommitteeRoger Bergmeier, Committee ChairTroy Savage

Blossom SavageAndy PeasleyJohn RimelTom & Becky SuttonGreg BakerChris Roberts social CommitteeLeslie Wetherbee, Committee ChairMary EngstromSue & Roger BergmeierSteve ConnellDeb & Henry FassnachtMike & Hillary Lozar – Keg MastersHenry & Debbie FassnaphtWendy KautzTom & Becky SuttonChris Roberts

membership CommitteeSue Bergmeier, Committee ChairBuck LoveMark GilmoreHeather Harp

Photography/HistorianMark & Shawnae BratzJim Kautz Communitee outreachMike Lozar, Commitee ChairHilary LozarCheryl Crawley

newsletter CommitteeJeremy Keene, Committee ChairMike LozarTom & Becky Sutton

P.o. Box 2955missoula, mT 59806www.southflatheadyc.com

We have room for more volunteers if you’d like to be on a committee please contact one of the board members.