View from an El Toro

It has been a looong time since I've gotten to post about a sailing event on our blog. Summers in the PNW have a way of becoming very busy when the weather gets nice. Time to do house projects, BBQs, family get-togethers, etc. So it was nice to finally carve out a little time for some sailing with the club. I'm sure they missed me ;)

We had a great showing of about seven people. We initially floated the idea to have lunch in Illahee (a public dock just south of us), but quickly realized the light wind would never get us there an back. We splashed 3 C-Larks and I took the El Toro. I was anxious to see how it did in the open water.

With the super light wind it took us nearly an hour just to get outside of the Marina. Some took to paddling, but I skulled myself out in search of wind.

The light wind is always a great opportunity for me to snap a few extra pics and try out my artistic side of photography.

Troy was kind enough to pack an entire cooler full of beverages for his loyal club sailors, but the duty of bartender was given to Richard. One of the reasons our club exists is to further the skills of our sailors, and I gotta say that being a floating bartender is quite a unique skill. In light wind it is fairly easy, but passing a beverage in 8-10mph wind definitely takes some skill.

The wind eventually came and we beat up wind towards Bainbridge Island's Battle Point for a bit. I swapped boats with Richard and played bartender for a bit while he played in the El Toro. He seemed to enjoy it mostly, but since he's been redoing some flooring in his house, the kneeling part seemed to take its toll on his knees. I personally found that standing in the El Toro was the best way to sail it. It feels a bit like surfing and riding a horse at the same time.

 A few of us decided to head back towards the marina while the getting was good. I think I got a little too much sun today... but that's a good thing.

Class time!

Troy has been sharpening our group by teaching us special topics during our monthly meetings.

Last month he showed us how to inspect and replace the impeller on our small outboard that we use for the safety boat.

It actually turned out to be a lot more complex than I thought it would be, but you really can't beat these visual aides when you are standing there seeing it done firsthand.

This month he taught us about Laser rudder, tiller, and tiller extensions. It was interesting to find out some of the rules guiding rudder/tiller design for racing and how people have modified them to gain a tactical edge.

It was neat to see several different styles of tiller extensions. I personally like the carbon fiber tiller, I think every boat needs more carbon fiber and titianium ;)

Thanks Troy! You are a great teacher, commodore, and friend to us all.

Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails Festival

The Port of Brownsville broke some BAD news to us earlier this year and said there would be no Brownsville Appreciation Days (BAD) which has been a tradition for many years. It was a time when the Port gave something back to the community and our club supported the port by giving free sailboat rides to anyone willing to trust us.
Without BAD happening there was obviously a void to be filled and Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails Festival is a great start. You can learn more about Water Trails and how the Port of Brownsville is taking part by following the link.
Washington Water Trails Association (Brownsville)
Again our club supported the Port by offering free sailboat rides and it was a fun time. The timing of this festival is a nice way to kick off our boating season early on and remind people about our awesome affordable little club.