06/18 - 06/19 - Port Townsend Safety Launch

No harm in reserving now. If you can't come for unforeseen reasons, you can cancel.

If I understand it right, I believe there is some reservation charge, and I was told that would be waived for us. Just be sure the Port understands that you are a safety boat for the OW race.

We have at least 10 moorings "prereserved" for us. If it looks like we have more, I'll get that adjusted.

The Port number is 800-228-2803.

Dave
 
Harvey asked me a few questions that others will want the answers...

If you can come Friday, it doesn't matter what time. Friday night can be a social time for us, and chance to discuss any safety/rescue issues. Port Hudson is easy walking distance to downtown, plus there are a couple of restaurants in the harbor.

I don't yet have the time for the regatta on Saturday. I would guess ten or eleven o'clock. The race is 7 miles long, across Townsend Bay, around Rat Island (off west side of Marrowstone), and back to Ft Worden. There is a big potluck lunch with grilled salmon and some beer afterwards. Most of the afternoon will be free. We might want to have an informal meeting in the evening, to discuss whatever we need to for Sunday. Again, the evening is ours.

Sunday morning there is a race meeting at nine. I think we would want at least one person from each boat there. That will be at the new Maritime Center, a short walk from where we will moor.

The race starts at ten, off of the Maritime Center. It will take three hours or less. The Race Director, Steve Chapin, said this week that there has been a decision to shorten the length of the race slightly. Marrowstone Point will be taken out. Steve realized that the way he had planned the course, there could be a difficult bottleneck there, with a U turn around a single point, and of course, all the competitors facing backwards!

After the race will be the banquet and awards. If anyone needs to head home right after the race, no problem.

I have recommended that each boat have ideally three crew. That decision ultimately is up to each skipper. If you have only one or two and want more, we will easily find folks who will want to be on a boat for the race. I would first offer those places to Rowing Club members, or support people for competitors, knowing that these folks will be familiar with safety/rescue issues.

Dave
 
Dave, Thanks for the answers.

From the OW Race web site:

Sat Morning race starts at 1000 with registration on the beach just prior to start. Race is 7 miles and should be over by 1130, when lunch is planned.

Sun morning pre-race safety meeting is at 0815 and the race starts at 0915 with all classes in a mass start. Post race meal and awards is planned to start at 1100.

Looks like starcraft tom might want to change his fishing gear for water skis. These guys go F A S T

I may be up for taking a third party onboard, from your pool of available rowing club or support folks. The same one for both days might be a good choice, having some familurarity with the boat and crew might be an advantage. (IMHO)

The circumnavigation of Rat Island may still need to be looked at, as I recall, that eastern end, that looks like the rat tail, is shoal and the timing of the race puts crossing that shoal spit at about low tide, which is about 5ft. If there is a spot to sneak through, OK, for the ose that draught 3-5 inches, other wise I would go back around the way I came in. I did see a crabber go through there on time. He did leave a pretty mudded up water track that we were clearly able to see from the channel.

Looking forward to good times,

Harvey
SleepyC
:moon
 
Thanks for the accuracy in information, Harvey!

Going around Rat Island depends on the tide, and I haven't checked it (I know Steve Chapin has for the Open Water race, to figure in the current).

At high water, crossing the bar north of Rat Island is easy. At low water, going around via the channel is the course of the prudent mariner.

Dave
 
Yesterday was an interesting day......

I spent the day on one of our CGAUX facility vessels. In the afternoon we assisted the Island County Sheriff Marine Patrol in providing standby for the Indian canoe races that were a part of the afternoon's festivities for a festival in Coupeville.

There were a series of canoe races that included single person, 6 person, and 11 person canoes. Depending upon the ages of the crewmembers the race courses varied in distance.

By late afternoon, the excitement began as the wind kicked up the waves in Penn Cove. A couple of the canoes took on water and capsized. We ended up escorting one canoe with 11 crewmembers back to shore. The waves spilled over the gunwhales 4 times, sinking their vessel under them. The crewmembers (men and women) then rocked the canoe from side to side until 1/2 of the water was removed and then one at a time they would crawl back into the canoe until all were back on board and then they would resume their paddling journey. They were attired in only T-shirts and shorts and although they were visibly chilled, they would not give up and seek refuge on our vessel.

As well as providing standby for canoes on the race course, we did have to intervene to "wave off" a few other vessels that were approaching the contestants with large wakes, that would most likely have filled their canoes with water as well, had we not asked them to slow down.

No medical assistance or rescue was needed.
 
I just came back from a Townsend Challenge organizing meeting. I suggested we not include ourselves in the banquet, as we were only getting one meal per boat - let's head to the Port Hudson Cafe instead and get some of those fabulous crab cakes (best in town, if not USA), or some other arrangement.

And the good news... We will have free moorage for Saturday night, as long as we all can fit in the 70 slip. With rafting, that should be no problem. If we are tight I can keep my boat on the trailer.

Race start is changed to 9:30 Sunday. The race meeting will be at 8:15.

On Saturday after the Rat Island Rowing Club Regatta, we always have a huge potluck. We are all welcome to that.

Sat night we could have our own potluck or whatever folks want. Open to suggestion.

Dave
 
Dave,

That's very cool about the moorage. I was thinking about staying Friday night at Mystery Bay and coming over bright and early for the Rat Island Race. The Crab Cakes sound good to me.
 
Dave, That is a nice offer on the moorage there. I had inquired about moorage there, but depending on when I can leave I had thought about going to Mystery Bay also. I have my state park moorage pass for this year, and need to get my monies worth.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I just made my reservation for Saturday night at Port Hudson Marina. (As you will remember, I won't be able to come over until Saturday).

Plan C (Dave), I just sent a PM to you.
 
I got updated information about moorage. The new plan is that we get Saturday night FREE. They are reserving for us three sides of 70 foot slip. In other words, we get a 70 by 44 space where we can raft if we need to, and an additional side. The first dock is to the immediate left as you enter Port Hudson, and the space inside of that is the 70 x 44. We should put our two longest boats on the first dock, and the others inside. We have specific instructions that we cannot overhang out into the port channel.

I do not think it is essential to notify the port if you are coming Saturday, but certainly let me know, so I am clear on numbers.

It appears the plan for most of us will be to spend Friday night on anchor or mooring in Mystery Bay (between Indian and Marrowstone Islands), although anyone can reserve in the port as they wish, but with usual mooring fees.

Dave
 
Dave, If we stay in Mystery Bay, Friday night, are we going to have a place to moore for the meeting, and to pick up observers or additional crew if needed, on Sat morning?

Thanks,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Saturday morning is the Rat Island Regatta, and it is based at the beach by the Marine Science Center, out by Fort Wilson. We can use the Marine Science dock. We can't all dock at once, but can take turns as needed. I don't believe we will need to go to the race meeting. I will know the plan for the race (pretty simple overall - from the beach across the bay, around Rat Island - the entrance to Mystery Bay - and back. We will just accompany), and can communicate any refinements by VHF. Conditions for the last 16 years have been calm all except one year.

Sunday - the Open Water Race - will be a bit more complicated.

Update on crabcakes - I'm told you can get them for breakfast, with eggs benedict.

Dave
 
I got a request from a Seattle rower to accompany him and a friend on the course tomorrow morning. He is rowing double. Looks like sustained winds of 10kt, out of the west, so there might be some waves and swells. They have had plenty of ocean experience, so I don't think it will bother them.

I think it is going to cost him a crab cake lunch!

Dave
 
Can I please hear confirmation from you folks so that I am confident of our numbers? I know Sleepy C, Patty Cakes, Sea Shift and Dreamer will be here.

Will the others please confirm. Will you be here Friday night and do safety boat for the Saturday race? Will you join us in Mystery Bay Friday night?

Please tell me if you can take additional crew, and how many? I will get word out to the Rowing Club this week to gather a few folks.

Hopefully we'll be back to terrific weather by this weekend!

Dave
 
Dreamer will arrive at Mystery Bay Friday afternoon. Robbi is planning on joining us on the boat for the races. We will stay for both races and plan on getting some Crab Cakes at some point. See you all there.
 
Dave,

Nice running into you on the dock at the P.T. Boat Haven last Friday as we prepared to depart for the Langley, Whidbey Island CBGT.

Pretty neat having Plan-C and Kingfisher there as well as our boat.... nothing but C-Dory's at the boat ramp!

Due to rough water on the way home on Sunday, Tanya swore off boating for at least a week so we will most likely NOT be bringing our boat up next week (we had not signed up for this event anyway) unless you really need us (me alone likely) due to somebody cancelling out and not being able to showup.

However; I spoke to Harvey on Sleepy-C and, as of now, it sounds like I will be crewing for him on Saturday and Sunday but heading back home during the evenings and returning early in the morning.

Take care,
Dan & Tanya
 
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