March 2010 Anam Cara chases Riva - Portland Yacht Club

March 2010Vol. 60 No. 3Anam Cara chases RivaPhoto by Dale Mack

C O M M O D O R E ― S C O M M E N T SThe Commodore’sBall isnow in the recordbooks. It was amost memorable nightand was enjoyed by160 attendees deckedout in their finest. Master of CeremoniesLarry Snyder had certainly done hishomework and was able to present aburgee from the Helsingborg YachtClub in Sweden, the hometown ofsome of the Johnson ancestors. Larrywas able to obtain the burgee withKaren Anderson’s help in spite of rumorsof unpaid Johnson HYC dues andmembership revocation. The club waselegantly decorated thanks to JulieHinkley, Marcia Hoelscher, Judy Wells,Ruth Parr, Kim Lee and Kristi Miller.Following the traditional CommandChange Ceremony, Officer in Charge,Harry Braunstein, assisted by PastCommodore’s Bruce Aschim and BillStevens were able to successfully completethe historically impossible GrandMarch to a tight eight abreast conclusionwithin the confines of the clubballroom. Members were then introducedto the band, “Five Guys NamedMoe”. They were comprised of thefive Moe’s plus three more guys in thebrass section and three lovely ladiesdoing vocals. I never really figured outwhich of the band were the “Moes” butthey were certainly great.Crab FeedThe next event will be the Crab Feedwhich occurs after Portlight press time.Jim & Sandi Hansen and Mike &Tammy House, event co-chairs, andtheir cast of workers are bracing for ahungry crowd of 360 people and haveordered 1200 pounds of crab to keepeveryone happy. Jim Johnson wasagain coerced into providing a shortboat ride “team building session” forthe crab feed workers prior to theevent. Fortunately, Kelly Johnson willbe helping Jim get the engines startedso there should not be a repeat of lastyear’s difficulties.Special ProjectsYour Board has been active with theannual review and approval of housekeepingitems. New for this year is theappointment of Rod Wells to a threeyear term as Endowment and SpecialGifts Chair. You may recall that thisposition was established to provideassistance to members wishing to makespecial purpose gifts or create endowmentsfor the benefit of Portland YachtClub. Our membership includes manygenerous members who have giventime and money that will prevail to thebenefit of all of us. Rod will be availableto discuss and make recommendationsto any prospective donor or theirrepresentative. The remodeled diningroom and bar areas are in large part theresult of just such gifts and will be enjoyedby all of us for years to come. Atthe March 1st Winter Meeting, we willconsider another similar project for theremodel of the kitchen. The cost andscope of these types of projects oftenmake them unachievable from our duesand labor alone. I salute these individualsand hope that you are able toattend the Winter Meeting to discussthe kitchen project in detail.Education SessionsOn the education front, Dan & DorisDickson and Brian & Pat Hedgeshosted the first education series event.Captain Bob from West Marine conducteda class on Marlinspike Trainingand furnished line and fids to a groupof about fifteen wanna-bees who attemptedeye splices with braided line.It was a fun two hour session beforethe Saturday lunch. As a participantand surprised casual observer, theredidn’t seem to be a discernible skill differencebetween boaters although I wasunable to find any completed splices bythe power boaters. Future educationsessions have been opened up to prospectivemembers as a part of our “Getto Know Us Better in 2010” campaignand include the following:March 20April 17Nobeltec Navigation& WeatherPhil VolkerCrossing the BarNew Member RecruitingOur thanks to the members whostaffed the Portland Yacht Club boothduring the Portland Boat Show. Theshow had been shortened but we sawno signs of lost enthusiasm. A total offorty-five boaters expressed interest inPYC and were invited to our HappyHour on February 12th and the prospectivemember cruise to Willow Baron March 7th. Bob Bishop’s MembershipCommittee is looking for membersto participate and mentor prospectivecandidates.(Continued on page 3)the PORTLIGHTpublished monthly by theP O R T L A N D Y A C H T C L U B1241 NE Marine DrivePortland, Oregon 97211P: 503.285.1922 | Fax: 503.283.4960Email: office@portlandyc.comEDITOR—Dale MackOFFICERS AND TRUSTEESCommodore Nick Johnson (sail)Vice Commodore Rod Wells (power)Secretary/Treasurer Nancy MacGregor (sail)Rear Commodore Jerry Miller (power)Trustee Julie Hinkley (power)Trustee Michael Lewis (sail)Trustee Larry Justice (power)Trustee Charlie Bishop (sail)Trustee Larry Cirotski (power)PHOTOGRAPHERSBob Knauer / Bernie Bills / Stan BorysSkip Nitchie / Frank TillmanDonna Moore / Virginia Peterson2 PortlandYC.com March 2010

S A I L O R S ― T E L L T A L E SThe Sailors’ Dinner on April 9 isshaping up to be very special.Craig Mortensen will be givingus an account of his circumnavigationof our earth in a thirty-six foot boat.You will find out if he avoided piratesoff the Somali coast and what to dowhen a whale crawls under your boatand takes your rudder 600 miles fromshore. Craig will leave plenty of timefor Q&A. Five trophies will be presentedto well deserving recipients.The 2010 OCSA Race Book is availableat Schooner Creek Boat Works orNorth Sails for $25. All racers shouldhave one to find race dates, read theNotice of Race (NOR) announcements,and have the forms for entering theraces. You will also receive an indispensiblewaterproof race chart with thebook. The Race Book has the wrongdate for the Sailors’ Dinner. It will beheld April 9.It is time to get your boat polished,review the rules and join in the fun.Skip NitchieSailing CaptainM/V GilliganT R A I N I N GEducationSessionNobeltecNavigation& WeatherTaught byPhil VolkerMarch 209am to 11amPYC BallroomM A N A G E R ― S R E P O R TWe are gettingclosert o t h eOpening Day Parade.All boat owners arerequired to provideinsurance verificationto the office, and to provide proof of acurrent VSC. The Fleet Captain has anotice in this Portlight with dates thatwe will have inspectors available forVSC certifications. As many of youalready know, Marie in the officewatches the insurance expirations like ahawk. It is a difficult job, and this isthe first time that we have spent thismuch effort in monitoring these policies.We will have the water on at the outstationabout the first of March in orderto get it cleaned up in time for ourMarch events. The water in the mooragewill be turned on sometime in themiddle of the month.We extended the fence at the westmoorage and moved the gate up to thelanding above the N-row ramp. By thetime you read this we should have anew ramp in place also. We are marchingalong, probably not as fast as somemay wish, but we do what we can asfunds become available.C O M M O D O R E ― S C O M M E N T S ( c o n t . )The days are beginning to get longer,thank goodness. We can all look forwardto another year of fun and fellowshipon the water.(Continued from page 2)CruisingSo when do we start boating you mightask. Tom & Sheila Winslow are planninggreat things for our March 12th-14th St. Patrick’s Day Cruise to WillowBar. There will be a chance to disposeof your old socks and enjoy a littleGuinness. Vessel Safety Checks willalso be available. Our first“Weekender” cruise is to Sandy Beachon the weekend of April 9th. The StagCruise is on the weekend of April 23rd.We hope to have at least one traditionalcruise and one no-host “Weekender”each month throughout the cruisingseason.Opening Day is not far off so install allthose boat show trinkets, put on yournew tags and get your 2010 VSC so wecan get going. See you at the club.Nick JohnsonCommodoreS/V MolodezFred CarterClub ManagerPortlight DeadlineMarch 10Email articles and photos to:Dale Mackceltic-myst@comcast.netMarch 2010 PortlandYC.com 3

St. Patrick’s Day CruiseMarch 12 — 14PYC Willow Bar OutstationFridayDock Greeting at ArrivalAppetizer Potluck with Guinness BeerSock Burning Ceremony at Dusk—Bring your old socksSaturday Traditional Irish BreakfastDock ActivitiesVessel Safety ChecksAppetizer Potluck and BYOB Happy HourIrish Dinner Stew in a Bread Bowl, Salad & DessertIrish coffeeAfter Dinner Fun with Irish MusicSundayContinental BreakfastWeekend FarewellAdults: $18 Children: $9Please RSVP early toreserve your spotRSVP 503.735.0632oradmin@portlandyc.comMarch 2010 PortlandYC.com 5

C O M M O D O R E ― S B A L LP h o t o s b y B o b K n a u e r6 PortlandYC.com March 2010

N E W Y E A R S A T T H E O U T S T A T I O NP h o t o s D o n D e l lP O R T L A N D B O A T S H O WP h o t o s b y D o n n a M o o r eP Y C S M I L E SP h o t o s b y D o n n a M o o r eMarch 2010 PortlandYC.com 7

P A L M S P R I N G S R A M B L I N G SOn Saturday February 13th, aPre-Valentine’s Day celebrationwas held at the HiltonTerrace in downtown Palm Springs.Can you imagine thirty-five people attended!The food was great, and agood time was had by all. Could thisbe the start of a Winter PYC Outstation?I know you need water for anoutstation, and the pool and fountainshould take care of that!P h o t o b y M i k e W a l k e rStan BorysRoving Palm Springs ReporterChildren’sEaster Egg HuntSaturday, April 39:30 a.m.—12:00 p.m.OutstationCleanup Easter Egg Hunt Face Painting Balloon Art Coffee, Juice, & Snacks for Kidsand Adults BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket)Cost: $5 per personReservations by April 8503.735.0632 oradmin@portlandyc.comGary has determinedthat a major cleanupwon’t be required thisyear.Contact Gary Erdahl503.666.88928 PortlandYC.com March 2010

“ E S P A R R E D ‖ — T H E Q U E S T F O R H E A TMy 1991 boat favored me withno repairs required for thefirst twenty months of ourownership. I now know that this wastoo good to continue.The Bunch has an Espar D7L Dieselfired heater (rebuilt in 2004) that easilykeeps the boat warm in the worst winterweather, and it had been completelyreliable until one day inJanuary. I came aboard andfound the boat at 54° andthe thermostat calling forheat. I tried switching theheat off, then on and theheater fired. Success, butthe next morning the heatwas off. Switching the thermostatoff/on workedagain, so I replaced the wallthermostat ($39). Success,but several days later thefault was repeated. I thenreplaced the igniter with anew part ($97), and theheater ran for several daysbefore the heater failedagain.This time, the heater fanwouldn’t start. I found thatthe fan motor had developed a “deadsector” and would randomly refuse tostart. A search of the Internet and severalphone calls located “the last remainingnew D7L fan motor anywhere”in Seattle. Since the alternativewas a new heater, I bought ($797) andinstalled the new motor, noting that thefailed motor had been installed in 2004.Success, but then I saw soot on thedock, and black smoke whenever theheater was running.I traced this condition to a failed“thermal switch” that senses the presenceof flames in the combustionchamber. It was randomly failing toswitch over, and this had failed my newigniter. I ordered another igniter ($97),and began a search for a new thermalswitch. Neither the Internet nor callsto all of the listed Espar dealers producedanything but sympathy; there areno such switches available anywhere,and they are not repairable. The dealerseach offered a new D8L heater asthe only remedy.Okay, I am an engineer, and I was$1,000 into fixing my heater. Yet anothersearch of the Internet located asource of thermocouples and a zippylittle programmable controller thatwould functionally replace the failedswitch. I ordered the parts ($7 + $83),programmed the controller, and installedthe thermocouple in place of theswitch. Success, but not without firstburning one thermocouple to a crisp. Ithen measured the running temperatureat the bottom of the probe housing at1,700°, far in excess of the 900° ratingof the thermocouple insulation. I positioneda new thermocouple farther upin the probe housing and finally, Ithought, perhaps, maybe, had thingsunder control. The heater seemedhappy, but “Owaa tafoo liam,” as wechanted in the Boy Scouts.One day later, the heater failed. All ofthe usual suspects seemed okay, andjust before I disassembled the electronicheater controls, Ithought to check the fuelsupply. Both main fueltanks were empty! Switchingto the auxiliary tanksand bleeding the filtersand lines had the heaterback on line. Again.How much have I“saved” by making theserepairs? That dependsupon the future durabilityof the heater, but a newEspar D8L is more than$5,000. Boat Electric, thehappy supplier of the ignitersand the “last remainingD7L motor”wants me to supply theswitch replacement tothem. It seems that thereare several thousand of the Espar D7Land D12 heaters out there with failingthermal switches.We will work something out. I owe itto the other victims.Joe BradyM/V The BunchADVERTISE IN THE PORTLIGHT!For information about commercial advertising in the Portlight,please contact the PYC officeat 503.285.1922 oremail: office@portlandyc.comMarch 2010 PortlandYC.com 9

J O I N T H E F L E E T F O R O P E N I N G D A YIt’s time to start planning to cleanyour boat, get your Vessel SafetyCheck, and commit to participatein the Opening Day Parade on May 1st.Start by signing up on the bulletinboard or call the club office. Besidesyour name, include your boat’s name,power or sail, and your boat’s lengthover all.Berkeley SmithFleet CaptainS/V HotspurPlan on getting it done early!Make a Reservation today!An Annual VSC Inspection is requiredfor all boats in the PYC moorage, and acopy of the inspection form must beprovided to the club office. PYC wantsall boats participating in the OpeningDay Parade to have a VSC also. Pointsare awarded to clubs for VSC participation.PYC Vessel Examiners will be availableon the following dates to do a VSC andaward VSC Decals for those meetingthe requirements:March 12-14March 20April 9-11April 17April 23-25St. Patrick’s Day CruisePYCSandy Beach CruisePYCStag CruiseSign-up sheets will be on the bulletinboard for VSC’s for those dates. Ifthose dates won’t work for you, thencall one of examiners.Michael LewisJohn McCoyLarry SnyderDavid StuckeyPYC Vessel Examiners503.981.7467 (h)503.522.0140 (c)503.657.5253 (h)503.703.7661 (c)503.737.1509 (h)503.799.3351 (c)503.247.2545 (h)503.753.5339 (c)Cookout—March 5Salad Bar * Baked Potatoes * Garlic Bread *Bean Soupwith Dessert & Coffee to top it off!If you’re a Barbequing Enthusiast, don’t forgetto bring your entree of choice.Your Cookout Committee Host & Hostess are Chris & Susan DornCookout—March 26“Spaghetti Night‖Your Cookout Committee Host & Hostessare Michele King & Lucky KlassenEnter the “Free Cookout” drawing by signingup before noon on the Wednesday proceeding the cookout.3:00 Bar Opens — 6:30 DinnerCost is $7.50 per personRSVP 503.735.0632 or admin@portlandyc.comPlanning your summer vacation?Save August 6-15 for theDOWNRIVER CRUISE!Cruise Hosts: Fred & Kay Koudele10 PortlandYC.com March 2010

C A L E N D A RHappy Hour Every Friday 3-9 pmSaturday Lunch Every Saturday 11:30-1:30GolfEvery Wednesday, year roundBoard Meeting Third Wednesday every monthBridge Third Thursday every month 10 amPortlight Deadline 10th of every monthMarch1 mo Winter Meeting 6 pm5 fr Cookout 6:30 pm7 su New Member Flotilla to Outstation12-14 fr Cruise: St. Patrick’s, Outstation20 sa Education Session 9 am26 fr Cookout 6:30 pmApril3 sa Children’s Easter Egg Hunt 9:30-12 amsa NO LUNCH9-11 fr Cruise: Sandy Beachfr Sailors’ Dinner @ PYC15 th Ladies’ Spring Dinner 6 pm17 sa Education Session 9 am23-25 fr Cruise: Stag, OutstationSales - Installation - ServicePlease consider us for your next boat equipment or electronics projectVisit our website for details on services we provide www.rodgersmarine.com3445 N.E. Marine Drive Portland, OR 97211Phone 503-287-1101 FAX 503-288-3745 sales@rodgersmarine.comSpring Ladies’ Dinner“Changes in Latitudes”Thursday, April 15 th Save the Date Details to follow in the April PortlightMarch 2010 PortlandYC.com 11

Portland Yacht Club1241 NE Marine DrivePortland, OR 97211Need to Move a Car?*** Snow Birds ***Palm Springs-Arizona-FloridaCollege StudentsTo or From any StateOver 100 terminals nationwide800.214.5622—Vancouver,WAwww.unitedroad.comFULL SERVICE BOATYARDall repairs, service, installs, all boats up to 65’503-543-2785prompt written estimatesA&D Yacht Services AT ROCKY POINTE MARINAW I N T E R R A C I N GP h o t o b y D a l e M a c k12 PortlandYC.com March 2010