31 October 2007

Memorial for John Finn

I am sorry to come to you with sad news but I am sure that by now you have all heard about the tragic accident on Lake Michigan last week. We will surely miss our friend, crew-member on some weekends and competition on beer can races.

There will be a memorial service for John C. Finn of the yacht Jason
November 4th from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. about the Clubship.

Please call 312-938-3625 if you plan to attend.

This is the information from the Columbia website.

23 October 2007

Post Season Sailing, and River Trip!






Hi Gang!!

Well, Saturday the 20th was simply one of the BEST sails of the year! Very simple to ask ANY of the gang that was there (all 14 of us,) and they would all most likely agree.


Met down at BPYC on the dock a little late for starting, but we didn't miss our start signal! Rounding the South end of Burnham Harbor, we set the main. Only a few moments decision (quote - 'I don't think we'll have to jibe...') we set the "Bear Face" medium 'chute, and we were off. Instant 7 kts under those sails, with a nice breeze from the WSW. With Katie flying, and then soon with Rohit flying and George driving, we rapidly reached speeds of 8.5 kts sustained. Hit the magic 9 kts with a little work. Not too bad, for 5 weeks after the end of the season, only a few regulars, and a heavy boat! Simply lovely! Took the chute down as we neared Waukegan, and after passing EVERY sailboat that had been North of us from the start of our sail.




Added pics here so y'all could 'join in,' and be with us vicariously. It was really a fantastic day, and Now it is time to enjoy the offseason. We will all be getting together soon, to celebrate, and have fun. Hope you enjoyed the season, and let's look forward to the next! Maskwa Rocks in 2008!

Scott

p.s.. I finally have a good picture of Splash posted!

17 October 2007

"River" Trip

Hey gang,

Well, we are a go for Saturday, unless something changes drastically with the weather. Boat Call is 0830, and we plan on being off the dock by 0900. We should be able to get to Waukegan in 6 hours, and then we can train it back. The stop is right next to the harbor. Weather should be moderate.... not terrible... so here's hoping!

15 October 2007

Smooth Moves and Yacht Rock

Hi Gang!!

Well, for those of you who did NOT make it, both the Brunch at Katie's abode and Yacht Rockin' at Cobra Lounge made for the perfect combo.

First, we met at Katie's Kozy Apartment for some fritatas, sangria, and the embarassment of our Bears. Sigh. O.k., that out of the way, we had some funky conversation, and then The Bear, Splash, Yours Truely, and my lovely Mrs wandered over to Cobra Lounge for some Smooth Moves.

A bit of a late start for our band, but when they hit the stage, Smoothness and grooviness abounded. Rockin' us with the groovy sounds from the 70s that made superstar artists our of... Steely Dan... Hall and Oats... Michael McDonald... Kenny Loggins... well.. and many more, a great time was had. Cobra even brought in a beach for all those who wanted to play around, and truely live the experience. Yachties of all types were spotted, and the 70's lived on for one night, at least.

Check them out---
http://www.myspace.com/feelthesmooth

We really had a great time, and thanks to Carl at Cobra for the great venue, Smooth Moves for the groovy jams, and our own Katie, for the killer brunch, great bubbly, and getting us together.

Ciao.

Scott

11 October 2007

Tuesday's Lovely Sail.....


Well, we had a positively lovely day for a sail on Tuesday. Winds were strong and steady out of the W/NW, so there were NO waves, and the amazing thing is... here.. in this first picture---

So, you can see something interesting in that photo. That kind of folded over sail is a REEF. This is something that you have to do when the wind is TOO STRONG for the amount of sail that you have up. We had consistant winds of 25 kts, with frequent gusts to 32-33, and of course, the occasional stronger gust.

We were doing a steady 7 kts in that breeze, under a reef and no headsail. Pretty sweet. We did see 8 kts a few times, but we had to feather up in the puffs of wind.. some of them were pretty strong.



So, probably one of our last evening sails this season. The plan is still to get the boat out of the water on the 20th. More details to come on that when needed. The sail/motor will take about 5 hours at least, so we will try to start at BPYC nice and early, and then take the train back from Waukegan. Rain date is set for Oct 21st.


See you all soon,

Scott

Katie's Sunday Party!!


Hi Gang!!

Well, quick news, here.

Party at Katie's new place. The plan is to have brunch, watch the Bear's game, and then have a cocktail or two till Yacht Rock comes on the stage at Cobra Lounge. Her place at 2:00 PM or later, jsut come on along when you get the chance. At least, that is the plan from Katie... Check your email for further info like addresses, etc.... Speaking of Dark and Stormy's....