Need Feedback on Radar Reflectors
I had a chance in November to go to a PIYA (Pacific International Yachting Association) meeting. Representatives from several sailboat racing yacht clubs in the region were there. I was there to understand more about what this group does and how it operates. I also came away with an assignment to get feedback from the active sailboat racing community on an issue this group is grappling with.
One of the many things PIYA does is establish a common set of minimum safety standards for the convenience of race organizers and competitors. The related discussion at this meeting concerned lifelines, lifebuoys, and radar reflectors. The radar reflector topic was the most difficult since none of us in the sailing community is qualified to authoritatively address the effectiveness of radar reflectors. It’s also difficult for sailors to validate that they are following the regulations and good practice with the reflectors commonly available. The current regulation requires the following:
effective under all conditions.”
“A radar reflector, all metal, of the triplanar corner reflector type, each plane at least 12? square or 12-1/2? diameter to be carried at least 13 feet (4 metres) above the waterline. Other types of reflectors may be used provided that it has been demonstrated that they are equally effective under all conditions.”
The current issue is the wiggle room allowing other types of reflectors since there is no minimum size for these. As a result, boats are showing up on the race course with reflectors that are so small they don’t have a snowball’s chance of returning a signal. One suggestion is to not allow any other types. Another suggestion, my recommendation after looking into this a bit, is to require a minimum size on all reflectors regardless of type. If we presume that someone clever may come up with something better than the triplanar type then perhaps a reflector as small as 8 inches or so in the smallest dimension may do the job, but anything below that is unlikely to approach the intended effectiveness. This is because any passive reflector needs to be physically big enough to trap and return enough span of the radio wavelength to be recognizable back at the radar.
effective under all conditions.”
So my request for feedback is:
- (a) Should we ask PIYA to clarify their regulation on radar reflectors to keep this problem from propagating to each of our clubs and events,
- (b) Do you support the approach of having a minimum dimension regardless of reflector type, and
- (c) Anything else on the subject.
It would be most helpful to hear from any of you, with or without strong opinions, and not just from my friends who would prefer going with a small bit of tin foil. You can reach me at brianw@avanade.com.
Thanks,
Brian Watkins
Starting to Contemplate the “T” Word
Hey Karen, got my 48° North today and I love the picture. Thank you so much, it just brought a smile to my face to see us in your fabulous publication. We have been a fan of 48° North for 20+ years and have learned so much in the articles, pictures and have hired many of the professionals that advertise in your magazine.
We are creeping up in age and are just starting to think about the “T” word…………… (Trawler). But until that time comes, we are confident that our beautiful 1980 Cape George 36 will sail us to the many places we have loved here in the Northwest and beyond.
Keep up the good work!
Kim and Mark Nance
We loved having your picture in from your trip to Australia. Sorry it was so washed out – the printers you know. You and Mark have many miles left to go under the keel before the dreaded “T” word.
Just a few facts for the Park Board of Dear Sandy Brooks
This is a message to the Seattle Parks Department to support a long term commitment to allow Sail Sand Point to remain at the North shore facility of Magnuson Park.
The vision of local small boats users is to have an area where hand launch craft users could enjoy access to water without competing with the vehicle launch frenzy at all municipal ramps.
The Mission of Sail Sand Point aligns with a typical Municipal Park Department theme: “Sail Sand Point is a Seattle community small boat program dedicated to youth and access for all. We accomplish our mission by nurturing self-confidence, leadership, and an appreciation of our marine environment.” The principles of a Park Department should embrace facilities and programs which are designed to serve the people who are the park users, i.e. Customers.
Hundreds of volunteer hours have been invested to improve this facility and to support boating programs by people who have a passion to embrace the SSP mission.
The Puget Sound region has a rich, multi-generation, heritage of a boating and sailing culture that is supported by a diverse community of people. Sail Sand Point offers a vital dimension to this culture in combination with the North Shore site’s unique accessibility. Each year Sail Sand Point sponsors and supports sailing events that enable people with disabilities to participate in the sport.
The children of Seattle live in an area where they can be exposed to a wide variety of activities. Boating of this kind is limited to a select few areas. By allowing a not for profit organization like Sail Sand Point to lease the North shore development facility enables hundreds of kids to be exposed to sailing. Children come with families to enjoy the unique setting, other kids take sailing classes at various skill levels where the result is an increased appreciation of the outdoors, responsibility and enjoyment of a lifelong recreational activity. This sailing community relies on the vision of citizens, our current leaders and park department administrators.
These are just a few facts for the Park Board of Commissioners to consider.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Craig McMinn
Seattle resident, park user, sailor, parent, supporter of Sail Sand Point and tax payer.
PS. Drop by next spring and I’ll take you for a sail.
To see the progress that has been made at Sand Point is truly encouraging and exciting. This plan is slowly coming together and will truly become a centerpiece for public recreation, not to mention sailing, for the City of Seattle.
The Old and the New in Cannes and St. Tropez
We recently had the opportunity to crew on a traditional yacht at the Regates Royales in Cannes and the Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez; and had the privilege to race amongst some of the largest, fastest and most beautiful classic yachts in the world. The oldest yacht in the fleet was Partridge, a gaff-rig built in 1885. One of the largest modern boats was Mari-Cha IV. It truly was an amazing experience! Attached is a picture of us with 48° North at the Staint-Tropez regatta tent.
Best regards,
Rick & Karin Wunderlich
S/V Bel Esprit
North Saanich, BC
Sounds like quite an experience. It’s fun to see these yachts that we’ve only heard about and seen in the big glossies. They almost defy the imagination until seen in person. Thanks for the photo. “Entree Libre,” works for me.
The Selling, Buying, Sinking and Resurrection of the Captain Pierce
Your suggestion that I (we) run my letter concerning the Capt. Pierce in the October issue of 48° North bore immediate fruit. I have been contacted by the current owner who has brought me up to date on the comings, goings, selling, buying, sinking and resurrection of the vessel. I am very grateful for the suggestion, follow up and subsequent re-discovery of the boat my father built, with some help from me!
I would like a copy of the October issue in which the letter appeared (happy to pay for same). Can you help with this final piece of the puzzle as solved by me, you, ?48° North and the internet?
I will contact and communicate with the current owner and I send his email w/pictures for your potential interest. My friend, the most excellent journalist, says it would make a fine screen play! I am dubious but, who knows?
Thanks again for re-uniting me with my past, images of the (my) boat and memories of my Father. I will be in touch with Mr. Maxwell for a cyber-reuniting of our mutual interest in our, my, my Father’s, his boat!!
David L. Egger
Response to David Egger from current owner:
David, I thought you might be interested in a few pics of a boat I recently purchased this summer. The name she wears is Captain Pierce. I have done endless research learning about the history of this beautiful boat. After reading a letter to the editor in 48° North, I believe you and your father were the original builders.
Here’s the story thus far. I recently purchased this boat from Greg, a gentleman who has essentially held the title for four years. There were people living on her for the last several years and no maintenance was done. A little caulking here and there to keep the rain out. But here is where the story gets worse. Greg had bought the boat from, I believe, a friend of the doctor you spoke of that moved to Seattle. This guy, suspect A, held ownership for a period of a year or so. Then he decided to go on vacation all winter and she sunk to the bottom because of rain water for a period of 48 hours maybe. So who actually salvaged her I am not sure but I have met several guys who helped try and save her, but the Captain Pierce took the finger dock down with her. So here I am just trying to make her sail once again. She needs a little work (well a lot) but the strip plank hull solid is still sound no major rot except a bit under the rear cockpit seats. The motor is ready for a rebuild. The masts were down and most hardware removed but nearly all pieces are there. I have the original sails as well. Pretty much a complete overhaul.
Check out the pics taken after I cleaned her up a bit, brace yourself, she’s probably not as you would hope to see her.
Kyle Maxwell
ATTENTION RACE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN!
Racing In Puget Sound Meeting
6 PM Monday, February 5
at the 48° North Office (behind West Marine Shilshole)
Andrew Wall of the Coast Guard will be there to discuss race permits, deadlines, VTS lanes, and answer any questions about racing on Puget Sound.
Who’s Boat? s on the Rocks? Waiting for Permissioni
This is just a note to folks, for your boat’s sake, let someone know if you’re leaving your boat unattended at anchor. In November we had some unusually high, sustained winds, with gusts recorded up to 75 knots. At this time there was a sailboat anchored out off of Cap Sante Marina. No one knew who’s it was or when the owners would be returning. The Port called us and said they were keeping an eye on it as it was dragging anchor. We can’t do anything without permission from the owners, or unless it was a hazard to navigation, so it was a wait and watch. After a couple days the boat had finally drug to the point of being on the beach at the breakwater, threatening damage to herself and the breakwater. Luckily, by that time, the owners contacted the marina, who contacted us with permission to pull the boat off.
If the marina had known whose boat it was earlier, they could have contacted the owners, told them the boat was dragging and that it should be moved. As it was it turned into a more serious situation that could have been devastating for the owner’s and their boat.
So, the moral of the story is; if you’re going to leave your boat unattended at anchor, even overnight, have someone keep an eye on it so they can contact you should an emergency arise.
John and Lisa Aydelotte
Marine Services and Vessel Assist
360.675.7900
And this was before the “big” windstorm,” (now the storm of the century, according to one local new station). You have to keep a weather-eye out, even if you’re on shore. It’s got to be tough to just watch the boat aground while waiting for permission to rescue it.
Finale — A Great Driver and Crew
Although Sudie Parker’s report on the SYC’s Grand Prix Regatta was entertaining, I found something rather amiss. Because the winds were up for the weekend it was assumed that FINALE would/should win?? “Another boat that makes 20+ knots look easy is a Swan, so it isn’t much of a surprise that FINALE fared well over the weekend.” Let’s face it...the very best Indy car cannot win four of four races without a great driver and pit crew. Some real credit needs to go to Roger Hills and crew for their four of four wins. If they hadn’t won, would they be faulted? A boat without a skipper and crew is just a boat with nowhere to go.
Cliff Hunter
Portland, OR
Your Indy car analogy is right on and we congratulate Roger Hills and crew for their terrific sailing. We actually had more on that in the report but unfortunately ran out of space.
Looking for Ed and Grendell
I have lost contact with a good friend of mine, Ed Judd, aboard his 33’ sailing vessel Grendell.
Edward, now in his late seventies, has sailed for decades ever longer solo voyages, usually bi-yearly trips between SE Alaska, Hilo- Hawaii, and New Zealand, with increasingly fewer stops along the way.
A couple of years ago he had come down the inside from Sitka. I met him on that trip in Nanaimo, and we became friends. He sailed to Port Townsend for the winter to visit some friends, from there on a ardous passage to Hilo, then, after a short rest to Whangarei, NZ, with no stops in between.
Ed sent a postcard from Opua to announce his departure on the next day for Hilo expecting to take 65 days, which would have seen him in Hilo in the last week of April.
I did not hear from him from Hilo, but when he didn’t show up here in BC this fall, as would be his custom, I decided to make inquiries in Hawaii, to no avail.
In her letter to 48° North, Susan Wilder mentions the cruising community of 2006 in Radio Bay, and I am wondering: have they seen or heard from Ed and Grendell at all?
I have saved a stack of London Book Reviews which Ed loves to read; perhaps one of your readers knows his whereabouts - maybe has a forwarding address? Cheers.
Sincerely,
Franz Mutschler
S/V Paramita
sail49@island.net
Local Sailors Save Tropical Night!!
The crew of Distance, a Buchan 37 that participates in the weekly Lake Union Duck Dodge races, set out to find the perpetrator(s) who reportedly stole a palm tree from the tropical island last August during the traditional Tropical Night race sponsored by 48° North magazine.
They felt the call of duty for two reasons: The threat posted in 48° North that the tropical island would not appear next year without the missing palm tree, and because the main suspects were the crew of another Buchan 37, Dreamscape. The crew of Distance did not want to be mistaken for a crew of disreputable individuals who might be sailing the same type of boat and pulling such shenanigans.
After an exhaustive search it seemed that all leads had ended up dead ends, with the crew of Dreamscape claiming innocence and trying to lay blame on a whiskey swilling transient who bummed a ride a couple of weeks prior, drank the boat dry and then was never heard of again. Tyler Liniger, the skipper of Dreamscape could only describe him as “some guy with a white beard who reeked of Aquavit and pickled herring. His story seemed a little far fetched but there was nothing else to go on. We feared it may become another of Lake Union’s “Cold Case Files”.
The big break came last month when a pungent smell floated across Lake Union to the crew in the cockpit of Distance. It sort of smelled like their Norwegian buddy, Carl on his birthday. But just then an obviously intoxicated man with a white beard sailed by on a Laser. They recognized the boat as the Marine Servicenter/Vanguard demo Laser which obviously had been stolen, so Distance sailed into action. The guy got away but the crew was able to snap a photo of him as he sailed off. (See 48° North December 2006, page 91) An APB was put out on the internet and it turned out that the same guy was linked with a suspicious disappearance of a coconut bra around the same time. Soon the web posting leads started to pick up, and the crew of Distance knew it was only a matter of time before they had their guy. The suspect was finally found staggering out of the Sloop Tavern headed west wearing a coconut bra and with the missing palm tree on his shoulder. He was immediately apprehended and delivered to the 48° North staff to face his fate, which we believe may include a stint in the detox facility. Thanks to dutiful sailors on Seattle’s Lake Union, the long-standing tradition of Tropical Night continues for the Duck Dodge 2007 season and bad guys get what they deserve.
Ray Hines
We certainly are glad to get our palm tree back. It was tragic to watch a piece of the island disappear. Now we know what the folks on Bikini Atoll felt like. The tree is back but the emotional scars are slowly healing. Any Aquavit left?
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