Bremerton
Yacht Club's "Special People's Cruise"
Reported by Charles E. Billings
The Bremerton Yacht Club's recent "Special
People's Cruise" was, by all accounts, a resounding success.
The weather abated just as the boats headed out into Dye's Inlet on
the afternoon of Sunday, December 2. At the middle point of the route,
Santa waited on the bow of a fully decorated sailboat to talk with
the cruise participants.
The cruise has been held each December
for the past 20 years. The 2001 event was the best ever, with 179
special people participating. There were 38 boats in the parade, including
three from the Port Orchard YC, one from Poulsbo YC, Bald Eagle from
Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, and Admiral Jack from Kitsap
Harbor Tours. The Bremerton High School basketball team provided strong
young men to assist the more physically challenged participants aboard
the boats.
As usual, there were some very interesting requests of Santa via VHF
radio…everything from videos of Snow White and Harry Potter to
a new Ford car. One participant sang a sweet medley of Christmas carols
to the jolly old elf when passing the Santa boat. Santa replied, "That's
the best song I've heard!"
The Bremerton cruise is a real community
effort. Roughly 400 volunteers are involved. Participating organizations
include Kitsap County Community Federal Credit Union, Kitsap Harbor
Tours, VFW Post 239, Kitsap Para-Transit Services, Seattle SeaFair,
and the Bremerton High School Athletic Department.
After the cruise, many of the special
people were bussed by Para Transit Services to the West Side Improvement
Club for a dinner provided by the members of VFW Post 239. Then it
was off to home, a good night's sleep, and dreams of a wonderful evening.
Editor's
note: Hats off to the hundreds of private and charter boats that participated
in Special People's Cruises throughout Puget Sound.
Marina News
Foss Waterway Marina (formerly Totem
Marina) on Tacoma's downtown waterway is undergoing a complete two-year
renovation. New docks, finger piers, showers, and restrooms are planned,
along with upgraded and modernized power, water, and security systems.
When completed, Foss Waterway Marina will add another vital element
to Tacoma's redevelopment of the Foss Waterway and the central business
district. Centrally located in downtown Tacoma, the marina offers
both permanent and transient moorage. Many theaters, restaurants,
shops, and museums are located within easy walking distance.
Long-range plans for the 480-slip marina
include the development of residential and commercial projects with
frontage along the soon-to-be-constructed "esplanade" (a
7-1/2 mile walkway that will eventually connect the Tacoma Dome with
the Ruston Way waterfront).
The Totem Yacht Club's reciprocal moorage
agreements have been renewed, creating opportunities for low-cost,
short-term moorage for visitors belonging to clubs with reciprocal
privileges.
Foss Waterway Marina is located at 821 Dock Street and can be reached
by phone at 253-272-4404.
Marina
News
Twin Bridges Marina, located near LaConner
and the first indoor heated dry stack marina in the state, has taken
a further step towards being a full service marina with its recent
signing of Cap Sante Marine to a long-term lease. Cap Sante Marine
will provide boat maintenance, repair, parts, and accessories within
the 7,000 square feet shop and showroom space. Cap Sante Marine, headquartered
in Anacortes, is a long established company with over 20 years of
experience in all aspects of the industry, including mechanical systems,
structural fiberglass, and aluminum repair. This will be the fourth
location for Cap Sante Marine, which currently has two facilities
in Anacortes and another located in Kenmore on Lake Washington.
"I am extremely pleased that Cap
Sante Marine has chosen to locate at Twin Bridges Marina," says
marina owner Bill Youngsman. "They have a great reputation in
the industry and will be a tremendous and positive addition to our
marina and a great resource for our customers."
Twin Bridges Marina made local and state news in its 26-year effort
to obtain permits for their facility, which finally opened this June.
The marina stores up to 300 boats on adjustable racks inside the 60,000
square feet main building and launches the boats on demand with a
custom-built forklift. Its proximity to the San Juan Islands and the
greater Seattle area makes it a popular location for Puget Sound boaters.
Cap Sante Marine officially opens for
business at Twin Bridges Marina on January 2.Education
West Marine Bellingham offers a series of New Boater Introductory
Seminars. All events start at 1800 on the following Wednesdays: January
9, Ventilation Basics; January 16, Electrical Basics; January 23,
Tides, Currents, and Charts Basics; January 30, Safety Equipment Basics.
For more information, please call 360-650-1100.
Everett Sail & Power Squadron will
present the Boat Smart class on Thursdays, February 7-28, from 1900-2100
at the Everett Olympic Boat Center location (I-5 at exit 189). Instruction
is free, there is a small fee for materials. Call Greg DeVault at
206-364-8305 or register online at www.pipercreek.net/uspseverett.
Bellingham Power Squadron sponsors a
Public Boating class on eight consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning
January 29. Classes will meet at Bellingham Technical College from
1900-2100. Registration is $52, including a textbook and plotting
tool. For additional information, please call Elbie Beamer at 360-738-3963.
Education
Bellevue Sail and Power Squadron
offers the Public Boating Course, meeting once each week for seven
weeks on the same evening as the sign-ups. Classes begin Tuesday,
January 22, at Bellevue High School, 10416 Wolverine Way, Bellevue
and Thursday, January 24, at Rose Hill Junior High, 13505 NE 75th,
Kirkland.
Bellevue Sail and Power Squadron also
offers the Boat Smart Course, which meets Tuesday and Thursday for
two weeks from 1900-2100 beginning on the following dates: Tuesday,
March 12, at West Marine in Bellevue; Tuesday, April 16, at Doug's
Inboard Boats in Woodinville; Tuesday, May 14, at Olympic Boat Center
on Bel-Red Road in Bellevue.
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.
US Power Squadron classes focus on boating safety and skills. Call
1-800-336-BOAT for additional information.
US
Coast Guard Boating Safety Course will begin January 8 at 1900
hrs. Classes run for four consecutive weeks and will be held at Boater's
World, 5251 State Rte 303 NE in East Bremerton. Tuition is free; the
textbook is $20. Call for reservations, please. 360-478-4089.
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.
Seattle
Sail and Power Squadron's Public Boating Course will begin February
4. Classes will meet in West Seattle. Call 206-789-1128 for additional
information.
Skagit
Valley College invites the public to participate in any of the
courses offered through the Marine Maintenance Technology Department.
Classes are offered in the following subjects: diesel and gasoline
engines; electrical systems; vessel auxiliary systems; brightwork
and cosmetic maintenance and repair; fiberglass manufacturing and
repair; lofting; and high-tech coating systems. The Whidbey Island
campus is located in Oak Harbor. For information, please call 360-679-5330.
South
Sound Community College offers a Navigation and Piloting Course
beginning January 8 and a Celestial Navigation Course beginning January
10. Additional information is available at 360-754-7711.
RACING
Gig
Harbor Yacht Club sponsors the Islands Race on March 16. Details
at 253-851-2773.
Olympia
Yacht Club and the South Sound Sailing Society sponsor the Toliva
Shoal race on February 16. Please call 253-851-2773.
Orcas Island Yacht Club hosts
the Winter Classic race February 17. Please call 360-376-3693 for
additional details.
Three Tree Point Yacht Club sponsors
the Duwamish Head race on January 5. Also on the agenda: Windjammer
Series race #1, January 19; Windjammer Series race #2, February 2;
Windjammer Series race #3, February 23. For additional information,
please call 253-851-2773.Navigation Contests
The International PowerBoat Association
(I.P.B.A.) will sanction navigation contests (a.k.a. "predicted
log races") hosted by the following clubs: Queen City Yacht Club,
January 12; Bremerton Yacht Club, February 16-17; Meydenbauer Bay
Yacht Club, March 2-3; Gig Harbor Yacht Club, March 23-24; Queen City
Yacht Club, April 6-7; Tacoma Yacht Club, April 27-28; Rainier and
Poulsbo Yacht Clubs, May 11-12; Day Island Yacht Club May 18-19.Club
and Squadron Cruises
Day Island Yacht Club cruises
in 2002 will include: February 15-17, Bremerton Yacht Club; March
23-24, Port Orchard; April 12-14, Bell Harbor; May 24-27, Longbranch;
June 21-23, Olympia.
Everett Yacht Club members will
cruise to Bremerton Yacht Club, February 22-24; Port Ludlow,
March 16-17; Tacoma Yacht Club, April 20-21; Union Bay, May
4-5; Deer Harbor, May 25-27; Kingston, June 22-23; Pleasant Harbor,
July 20-21; Garrison Bay, August 17-18; Oak Harbor, August 31-September
3; Slough cruise, September 14; Poulsbo, October 5-6.
Port Orchard Yacht Club members will enjoy a "penguin
cruise" to Blake Island, January 11 and 12. Poulsbo Yacht
Club will cruise to Brownsville on February 9. Three
Tree Point Yacht Club members will cruise to Raft Island, April
13-14.
BOAT
SHOWS
The Seattle Boat Show at the
Stadium Exhibition Center will run January 11-20, 2002. This year's
show theme is "Life Just Gets Better on a Boat." The indoor
January show is considered the prime venue for new boats from major
manufacturers, with 1,000 boats (nearly all new) on display. Michael
Campbell, president of the Northwest Marine Trade Association, says
there will be over 450 exhibitors at the Stadium Center show, "half
of which will be offering the latest marine accessories and apparel,
as well as free seminars by experts on topics from fishing to cruising
and everything in between."
Tickets for adults are $8, youth 11
and up are half price, and kids under 10 are admitted free. Showgoers
who purchase tickets online at www.seattleboatshow.com
will receive free parking at nearby Safeco Field.
The
Lake Union Boats Afloat Show runs concurrently with the Seattle
Boat Show, January 11-20, 2002. The Boats Afloat Show is produced
by the Northwest Yacht Brokers' Association at Chandler's Cove at
the south end of Lake Union. The NYBA boat show is the primary venue
for very large new yachts, previously owned boats and yachts, and
for new sailboats displayed with full rigging. A growing contingent
of gear and accessory vendors is always on hand for the Lake Union
Boats Afloat Shows. Seminars and entertainment are scheduled throughout
the event. Free parking as available at 5th and Mercer, with a shuttle
bus running between the parking lot and the show every 15 minutes.
The NYBA and the NMTA have arranged
for a free shuttle bus to transport showgoers between the Seattle
Boat Show and the Lake Union Boats Afloat Show on a half-hour schedule.
In 2001, over 5,000 riders took advantage of this convenience.
The
Portland Boat Show has been scheduled for January 5-13, 2002
at the Portland Expo Center.
Anacortes'
Seventh Annual Floating Boat Show is slated for March 22-24 at
Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes. Both new and used vessels will be on
display, with a good mix of power and sail. Sizes are said to range
from "pocket cruisers to motoryachts." The show is sponsored
by SkipperCress Yacht Sales and Fidalgo Yacht sales. Admission is
free.
Additional information is available from Deane Brazas, Fidalgo Yacht
Sales, at 360-293-4711.
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS
Hatteras Yacht Owners with an
interest in organizing a NW Hatteras rendezvous are invited to contact
Dan Barr at 206-285-1111 or Peter Knehr at 425-252-2105.
Uniflite Boat Owners interested
in planning a future rendezvous are invited to call Mark Allgeier
at 253-813-1909 or Keith Caravelli at 425-483-8397.Port of Seattle
Commissioners Vote to Moor Pleasure Boats at Fisherman's Terminal
On December 11, 2001, the Port of Seattle
Commissioners voted 5-0 to allow limited pleasure boat moorage at
Fisherman's Terminal in Seattle. Concerned with a very high
vacancy rate at the terminal and a pressing need to rebuild most of
the 60-year-old facility, the Commissioners agreed to recommendations
prepared by Port of Seattle staff.
The moorage arrangements will restrict
pleasure boats to a specific portion of the facility. If the small,
commercial fish-boat industry should be revitalized, the pleasure
boats will be required to move out and make room for the working fleet.
The December 11 vote was the "first
reading" of the proposition, and under the Port's operating guidelines,
the Commissioners will also have to approve the measure at a "second
reading" for the decision to be considered final.
Broker
News
Adventure Yachts has relocated
from 2046 Westlake Avenue in Seattle to Dave Maples' former offices
at 1530 Westlake. Pat Jutte, president of Adventure Yachts, feels
that the new location will improve the brokerage's visibility from
Westlake Avenue as well as enable Adventure to moor a larger number
of listings. Rick Gerath and Greg Youell of Dave Maples' staff join
Chet Craig, Phil Rothermel, and Doug Orton as brokers for Adventure
Yachts. Oregon
Yacht Sales in Portland, Oregon, has been acquired by Eric Deitchler
(left in photo) and Tom Jordan. Jordan and Deitchler have worked as
brokers at Oregon Yacht Sales for the last four years, and they purchased
the business from the estate of previous owner Jack Gallus. According
to Eric Deitchler, the partners intend to continue operating Oregon
Yacht Sales with the same high standards set by the previous owners. 
