Education
BoatUS offers a free online boating safety
course at the BoatUS web site, www.boatus.com.
According to Ron Wood, director of the BoatUS Foundation for Boating
Safety, over 80,000 boaters have taken the course at the web site. The
course is NASBLA-approved, US Coast Guard-recognized and accepted in
over half of the states with a boating education requirement.
The Offshore Store, at 3400 Stone Way in Seattle, presents the free
seminar "Changing the Way you Watch Weather" on Dec. 10. Call
or visit the store for more information, 206-632-3025.
U.S. Power Squadron classes focus on boating safety and skills. Call
1-800-336-BOAT for additional information.
Center for Wooden Boats on Seattle's
Lake Union sponsors free public sailing every Sunday at 1400 hours,
weather permitting. Each sailing excursion is approximately 30 minutes
in length. Interested parties should phone 206-382-2628 after 1200 hrs
to confirm weather conditions at the center.
West Marine, Bremerton Store, announces
a series of free seminars: Splicing three-strand line, December 4, 1800-1900;
Basic GPS Usage, December 11, 1800-1900; Voyaging to Tonga and New Zealand,
December 18, 1800-1900. In addition, the store is offering free cider,
cookies and gift-wrapping of all purchases on December 20.
Racing
Shilshole Bay Yacht Club hosts the Snowbird #1 on Dec. 14. Please call
206-325-1000 for details.
Tacoma Yacht Club presents the Winter Vashon Race on Dec. 7. For additional
information, please call 253-851-2773.
Three Tree Point Yacht Club sponsors the Duwamish Head Race on Jan.11.
For additional information, please call 253-824-3674.
Fleet Formation Notice: John Field is seeking local sailors interested
in forming a fleet of Norlin Mark IIIs, International 2.4mR Class sailboats.
The boats are designed by Peter Norlin of Sweden. John says the boat
is a single-handed thoroughbred keelboat that adheres to the International
Meter Rule. It is said the boat can be sailed competitively by all sailors:
young and old, male and female, able-bodied or physically challenged.
For more information, please call John Field at 206-624-1908 or e-mail
johnfield.chy@att.net.
Club and Squadron
Cruises
Bellevue
Yacht Club members will cruise to Port Orchard Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Corinthian Yacht Club, Seattle, will cruise (weather permitting) to
Yule Fest in Poulsbo Dec. 7-8.
Port Townsend Yacht Club's cruise schedule will include a cruise to
Bell Harbor Marina in Seattle Dec. 3-5.
Shilshole Bay Yacht Club will enjoy a Bell Harbor Christmas cruise Dec.
9-10.
Tyee Yacht Club members will celebrate the New Year at their Bainbridge
outstation
Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
West Bay Yacht Club has scheduled a holiday cruise to Olympia's Percival
Landing Dec. 12-13.
Seafair Special
Peoples' Holiday Cruise
Many Puget Sound area yacht clubs will participate in the Seafair Special
Peoples' Holiday Cruise on Sunday, Dec. 8. Club members should see their
fleet captains for details. Boaters not affiliated with yacht clubs
are encouraged to participate as well. Please call Seafair at 206-728-0123
for details.
Lighted Boat
Parades
Bellingham Yacht Club's lighted boat parade will occur on Dec. 7.
Bremerton Yacht Club will sponsor a lighted boat parade Dec. 6 and 7.
Milltown Sailing Association (Everett) has slated a lighted boat parade
for Dec. 7.
San Juan Island Yacht Club has scheduled a lighted boat parade for Dec.
14.
Boat Shows
Dates
have been set for the January 2003 boat shows in Seattle. The 56th Annual
Seattle Boat Show at the Seahawk Stadium and Exhibition Center will
run Jan. 17-26. The recent opening of Seahawk Stadium has provided extra
space for the Seattle Boat Show to display larger sailboats, and eight
keelboats from 24- to 42-feet will be displayed in a new Sailing Center.
Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.seattleboatshow.com.
Online ticket purchasers will be offered free parking at Safeco Field.
The NYBA Seattle Boats Afloat Show at Chandler's Cove on Lake Union
runs Jan. 17-26. The Lake Union Show provides a superb opportunity to
inspect approximately 250 power and sail boats, many of them previously
owned. The Boats Afloat Show is highly regarded for the wide variety
of slightly more affordable boats available.
The two fine shows combine to create one of the largest boat- and gear-shopping
extravaganzas in the United States.
Broker
News
Last spring's fire at Seattle Marina continues to affect the Northwest
boating community. Hanan Yachts, one of the oldest brokerages in Seattle
and one of a very few specializing in classic wooden boats, has found
that plans for rebuilding the marina aren't compatible with a wooden
boat inventory.
"Everything is going to be reconfigured into 60-foot slips,"
reports Ron Sperry, "and absolutely none of the moorage will be
covered. You can't just let a wooden boat sit out in the weather all
the time."
Ron has reluctantly decided to close Hanan Yachts, but will continue
to operate his other brokerage, Everett Yacht Sales. Thanks for the
many years of tireless service to Northwest Boaters
at Hanan Yachts, Ron.
Marina News
Port of Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina now accepts reservations online
at www.portofseattle.org. Click on the word "Seaport" on the
site's homepage and follow the link to Bell Harbor Marina's reservation
system.
Shilshole
Bay Marina has some 30-foot slips available. No waiting list. Please
call 206-728-3006.
Fishermen's Terminal now offers moorage for recreational vessels. Please
call 206-728-3395 for information.
Industry News
Nortec Marine has opened for business at 2144 Westlake Ave N. (206-285-2626).
Nortec is a dealer for Kabola hydronic marine heating systems, favored
by northern European boaters since 1947. Lars Nilsson is the proprietor:
a friendly fellow with a thorough knowledge of his product and enough
cold-climate experience to understand the challenges inherent with heating
a boat.
Oops!
We inadvertently used an old telephone number in our Dock Hooker product
review in November. The new, correct telephone number for Marine Products
Ltd. is 360-457-9060.
By the way, Gene Webber of Marine Products Ltd. read our review and
said that there actually is a technique that allows the hook to catch
a cleat very reliably, and he has offered to share that with any boaters
wishing additional information about the product. 
