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Captain's Log More Notes from Captain Sterno By Dave Sterns Captain's Log 9-8-97 Ok, I know, I've been a little lax in writing down the further adventures of Cinnamon Girl and her neophyte crew. So now I'm making up for it. But unfortunately, life has been getting in the way of her voyages. Yesterday's adventure was truly an adventure. But before I get into that, I need to play a little catch up with the previous voyage. We did take the "C.G." out twice about a month ago. Mr. Chad Neel, an old student/Lumberjack of mine from my days of being a Stage Mgr. for the School Dist., accompanied us (US being myself, First mate Cassie, and Second Mate Tad) to Lake Wenatchee. This was our first trip to the famous Lake Wenatchee, renowned amongst the few sailors in the region for being a constant source of 'our beloved wind'. However, on the day that we happened to go, the wind was dead. And as the sun was setting the mosquitoes descended like a swarm of hungry Nazi's. I HATE mosquitoes. We did have a lot of fun on this particular voyage though. The Main sail lines ended up getting fouled, so we never got the mainsail up. And while we were getting the mast up, it happened to fall, again. I hate when that happens. It makes such a loud crash when it hits the ground, and I can never see if it's gonna hit anyone as it's coming down if it's gonna hit anyone. After our little jaunt around the lake with just a jib sail, Chad did offer to get me a beer at the Cougar Inn, where we put in at. It was very tasty after a day like that. Now on to 9-7-97..... For the last month, as I said, Life has been getting in the way of "C.G.'s" adventures on the High Lakes. We had been in the midst of performances for a production of "Taming of the Shrew" by the Short Shakespereans, and (as if that wasn't enough) we moved, to a much larger house, and we now have roommates. So regardless of all the boxes that still need unpacked, repairs to the house that need to be made, plans for taking a trip to Ashland Or. later this month (to take the show to the Shakespearean Festival) and a multitude of other things that need doing, last Sunday I decided to chuck it all, say 'To Hell with it!, We're going SAILING!" A man can only go so long before he has to get back on his boat. And a month of no sailing was REALLY too long. This time around my Cousin (and our housemates) Ginny Marquez and her daughter Kamber, elected (reluctantly on Kamber's part) to join this sometimes-bloody fray. Of the few sailing experiences I've had so far with "Cinnamon Girl", by far I think the best place that I've taken her is a spot on Lake Chelan called Mill Bay. It's a spot about one-third of the way up-lake from the town of Chelan on this 55-mile long lake. The boat ramp is easy (and very FLAT! that's a good thing.) And the winds get somewhat funneled down lake, due south, towards the town of Chelan. And the Park there is very nice and relaxing. Though having three kids in the back of a two door Tempo on the way up was not, what one might call, relaxing, more taxing really then anything. We were able to get one of the earlier starts we've ever had, almost 11:am. Took a little while to help Ginny and Kamber get accustomed to the names of everything on the boat, which lines go where, what they do, why they're important. But we were able to get the boat rigged and ready to get in the water in only about 1/2 an hour. Not bad for a couple of neophytes. I think it helped actually that at least Ginny's Dad, my Uncle Gordon, was in the Navy. One of the things that the Crew (i.e. Cassie and Tad) decided was one of the more fun things to do with the boat, one of the last times that we took her out, (I think it was with Lisa Drittenbas and her beau Steve Stroud) was to jump off the boat and be dragged underneath her from the dolphin striker (That's a weird peice of metal framing underneath the trampoline, why they call it a dolphin striker is beyond me, like I really want, or even could hit a poor dolphin in a northwest freshwater lake.) This time around we (Ginny and I) thought that it might behoove us, if we added to this by taking along their small rubber raft with about a 30 foot cord and drag it behind "C.G.". This had the added benefit of getting the kids away from each other so that we didn't have to listen to "Dad, He spit on me", "Mom, She PEED in the lake!", "DAD, I don't like the way she's looking at me"...I think you get the point. "Damn sweetheart, I really have no idea how the line to the rubber raft got cut and you were stranded out in the middle of the lake all alone for the last three days, we thought you had an oar"... At least the thought crossed our minds on one or two occasions during the heat of the squabbling. The wind Gods were real kind to us. Not enough really for us to fly one of the hulls, but it was enough for us to at least pull the raft and tool around on the lake a bit, probably about 5-10 miles an hour. And as usual, one of the first to cry about wanting to go back in was Second Mate Tad, who decided it was time to eat. At the dock, Tad and Kamber decided that it was time to just do somersaults off the dock. First Mate Cassie approached me and asked if it would be all right if just she and Ginny took the "C.G." out on their own, just a 'girl' sail. I looked over at Ginny, standing behind Cassie, and she had a somewhat dumb-founded, seemingly semi-terrified look on her face, and immediately started shaking her head. I agreed with Cass. I'm such a cruel Captian. I ran Cassie through some of the things to look out for, made sure that she knew which lines controlled what, and she was able to identify most of the lines and how to work them. The only thing that I forgot to talk to her about was what to do, and how to, bring the boat back into the dock. This was after all Ginny's "Virgin Voyage" as she put it, since she'd never been on a sailboat in her life. I think she was filled with anticipation and anxiety. I think I saw Ginny's mouth move and form some kind of words towards me, but I wasn't sure exactly what they were, as they left the dock. They had some really nice winds on leaving the dock. Not enough to even list the boat to any degree, but enough to just get the boat really moving away from the dock and out onto the lake. I think that they were out for only about 20 minutes if that, when they came back in. The only problem they had, was that at the dock when they came back in, there was a 26+ Yacht/Cabin Cruiser and a rather new looking Jet Ski. And Cassie had point "C.G." right between the tow of them. Straight into the dock, when there really wasn't any room for a boat our size in that space. It was at this time that Ginny made a very brave and heroic leap into the Lake to make sure that "C.G." didn't end up crashing into the Cabin Cruiser. I caught the bow of "C.G." with only about a foot to spare. Looked to me like they were probably doing about 5 knots when they came into the dock. The folks with the Jet Ski quickly moved it out of the way. After we tied up "C.G." the guy who owned the Jet Ski turned to me and said that he'd gone through 13 gallons of gas in two hours with his Jet Ski. I turned to my Hobie and said we'd been sailing for a couple of hours and still hadn't yet gone through our first gallon of gas. I think I'm beginning to develop an attitude toward Jet Skiers... Comes from having to turn my boat everytime I see a large wake coming my way. And it seems to me, that a lot of them have no idea that a Sailboat ALWAYS has the right of way on any body of water, simply because we're not nearly as agile and manueverable. Once they got back in, an interesting vessel appeared, that was in the process of being launched. One Mr. Roy Cullen (at least I think that was his last name, that was what was on the bow of his boat "R.D.Cullen" ) decided to lauch his STEAM powered boat. We decided to dock "C.G." and talk to this guy. He had apparently BUILT this steam powered boat, that looked like a miniature version of the "African Queen". As we were asking him about all the brass gauges, pipes, and boiler, he actually asked if we wanted to go out with him. Tad, Kamber and I wholeheartedly agreed. The boat took a while to get up a head of steam, he was just burning wood in his boiler. Ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk was the only thing that we heard as we were leaving the dock in this semi-living machine. He even opened the valves and blew his steam whistle (replete with little brass Eagle on the top). He allowed me to take the tiller while he kept checking and adjusting the gauges, pumps, and valves. Tad and Kamber seemed in awe that the contraption was actually moving. Roy and I had an interesting discussion of Jet Skiers while we were out on his vessel. He was pretty proud of the fact, as he should be, that his boat wasn't polluting the water or making as much noise on the lake, or making really obnoxious wakes. I was very impressed. We took the "R.D. Cullen" back in. And I turned to Ginny and asked her if she would mind if I took "C.G." out alone for a short time. I'd never had the chance before to take her out alone and I was kinda anxious to give it a try. She agreed to kinda keep an eye on the kids while I went out. JOY! RAPTURE! That's about the only way I can describe it. The winds were at a nice steady 5-10 miles an hour. I was moving along at a real nice clip. And the hulls were riding much higher in the water then I was used to. Still didn't fly a hull. Winds weren't strong enough. But I did spot another Sailboat half way out the lake, and made for an intercept course just to say "Hi". She was a Columbia 22-Footer. The kind of Sailboat that comes to mind when you mention the word 'Sailboat'. The kind that you need a really big or powerful truck to pull, and a ladder to get into when she's on a trailer. Her sails were full, and the Jib sail was MUCH larger then mine, but I was running circles around them. I really see now the advantages of having a catamaran. They really ARE much faster in the water. Even an old, OLD one like mine. (BTW- for those interestered I did find out that "C.G." is a 1974 vintage Hobie Cat, a REAL old Hobie..) As I approached the Columbia 22', we exchanged friendly greetings, they said they were from Leavenworth, liked my boat, said it was too fast (I think that's what they said anyway) and I told them I liked theirs. The room would be nice. But I think I'm beginning to like the speed of mine in a light wind. I headed back in, savoring the taste of absolute silence save for the sound of the sails rustling and the water lapping on the hulls. Nirvana is acheived through sailing with out children I think, at least for a short time. By the time I got back in it was about time for us to take off. Almost 7:pm and the crew was saying that they really wanted dinner. So we packed her up and headed for home. As Ginny and I were making a final tie down inspection Kamber came up to us with a peice of duct tape over her mouth and pointing to it "mmm-mmm-nmnmm" Ginny and I looked at each other, and we both thought that Kamber wanted it taken off. So Ginny grabbed the duct tape, and RRRRIIIIIPPPPPP! Off it came. The scream was a little loud, but not quite as loud as I'd anticipated. Kamber started crying. As she started for the car we heard her say that she'd "Never have to wax again" Ginny and I couldn't stop laughing. So that's about it for now friends. I hope that your adventures are as joyful. May the winds be at your back, and the Son shine for you. Take care. Captain Sterno and His Fearless Crew sterno@televar.com Back to Features |