…cruising, surfing, music, teaching

Racing update

Newport, R.I.

This is a very old resort town for wealthy people. Many of the homes and businesses date back to the early 1800’s, and are found on narrow streets. There are mega-mansions that were summer homes but are museums now.
The waterfront teens with traditional yachts and retired America’s Cup racers as well as thousands of modern sail, power and commercial craft. Debra took lots of pictures. As soon as she sends them to me I will post them along with explantions.

Long Island Sound

Here’s a map.
The most impressive sights here are the number of boats and the number of summer homes (mansions).  Carved by ancient glaciers, the area is cut by fjords and bays as well as rivers. This makes for lots of good places to moor a boat.  The land is covered with vegetation and is ideal for big, secluded homes.

Sailing up the East River, our first stop was at City Island where we dropped the hook for an overnight stay.  We didn’t go ashore.

The next day we motored in very light winds to Port Jefferson, on Long Island.  We walked around the small downtown area with the rest of the tourists, then got fuel and water at the dock.

Our next stop was Mystic, Connecticut, home of the wooden boat museum.  We got a good look at some very old sailing ships (square riggers) that were once used for whaling and cargo.  Mystic is also a small place that retained its antique  flavor.  We had to anchor about a mile away from the town and take the dinghy into the public dock.  The Mason Island Yacht Club was a friendly place to take showers and get information.

Block Island, (map) just 20 miles east of Mystic, was our next destination.  Leaving our anchorage, we set the sails and had a great time sailing in 15-20 knots.  The Block Island anchorage is in the middle of the island and completely protected.  Boats enter the “Great Salt Pond” through a narrow inlet on the west side.  Once inside, the marinas and mooring fields come into view.  There is room for hundreds of boats.  A bike ride around the island gave us a flavor for the local scene.  Not many people live here year around, only about 300.  They say that winters here are plagued by rain and windy, cold weather, but not much snow.  The island is hilly and green, sparsely populated with traditional New England style and Victorian homes.  There is a lighthouse/museum on the south side that offers a great view of the coastline and a local surf spot.

Manhattan

It took half of the day to get from the anchorage at Sandy Hook to our mooring in Manhattan. It was a 22 mile run through the Lower Bay and up the Hudson River. The motor shut down soon after we left our anchorage, but was revived after Don replaced a fuel filter. Passing through the lower bay (fighting a current), we saw hundreds of boats and ships of all kind. Big tugs pushed barges, freighters brought cargo in and out; yachts, workboats, ferries and tour boats cruised by. As we approached Manhattan, we got a good look at the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. After motoring several miles up the channel lined with huge buildings and skyscrapers, we reached the marina. We checked in, got a bite to eat and headed for Broadway (two blocks away).

The highlights:

The Museum of Natural History, Museum of Art, Phantom of the Opera, subway rides, walking the cement canyons for miles, people watching, thunderstorms. Grand Central Station was surprisingly nice and clean.  Filled with food courts and shops of all kind, its grandeur struck me as I entered.  People could live here (and probably do) because everything is here, including nice, comfortable chairs to sleep on.

The Apple store here is very impressive.  It is a glass cube on the street level and the actual store is underground.  When we visited it was very crowded, so we played with a few toys and left.
We escaped a rain shower and were able to see the Lower Manhattan area by riding the bus.  It was not crowded and it was air-conditioned.  Passing the WTC site, we continued to Battery Park, on the south end of Manhattan, where we got off the bus and walked to Wall St., then returned to the marina via the subway.
Yes, there is a surf shop in Manhattan!

There is noise everywhere: in the sky are helicopters, in the water are barges and on land is a constant din from buses, motorcycles, well, you get the idea.  You can hear this city from ten miles away.

We found this sculpture in Battery Park(south end).

New York!

I just arrived in New York after sailing with Don and Debra on Starship from Nassau, Bahamas.  We were underway for 7 days with good but hot weather.

Tomorrow we’ll check into the U.S., then start seeing the sights.  More to come.

Right=the crew

Below=the captain

Below right=the admiral

From Nassau to Manhattan

As we left the anchorage in Nassau, we set the working sails and settled into a 10-15 knot breeze which held for 2 days, then slowly died.  While setting the whisker pole for the jib, I injured my right middle finger.  Debra, a nurse, was able to fix me up, so I was fine except I had to be careful using my right hand for a few days.  On the way Don caught a Mahi Mahi, which fed the crew for three days!

The rest of the trip, which lasted 7 days, was a motorboat ride in smooth seas and hot conditions.  We shared 3 hour watched at night.  During my watch I was glad I had my iPod!

Ensenada Race

So on Wed., the 23rd, I left the van at Taylor’s house in Newbury Park and climbed into his vehicle for the trip down to Newport. After we reached the American Legion YC, Mike and friend Doug paddled out in an inflatable canoe to the boats while I drove Mike’s car to the Balboa YC. When Mike arrived with Maine Squeeze he parked her on the guest dock until he got a berth assignment from the dockmaster. Normally, the guest dock will hold 3 or 4 boats, but by the end of the next day at least 20 needed space, so everyone rafted together.
My good friends Paul and Merridee invited me over for dinner. Both of them are looking so good! It was fun catching up on all the news and dirt about the local Newport scene.
The Bahia Corinthian YC puts on a big party for the racers. I think there were 400 people enjoying the food and drinks.
The next day we headed for the start line about 11:30. On the way out of the harbor we passed Dennis Conner on Stars and Stripes. Many well-known racers sail this race. Boats are organized into several classes, so that smaller, less experienced boats don’t compete with larger boats. There are cruising classes for non-race boats. Almost 400 started in 25 classes in 5 minute intervals.
This is an historically slow race because the wind shuts down at night. Maine Squeeze travelled the 125 mile course in 30 hours, at an average speed of over 4 knots.
After we crossed the start line, we sailed away from land to get some sea room. Some racers go 25 miles offshore looking for more wind, but we had a weather report that said the best wind would be close to land. When the wind died that night, we made lots of sail and course changes to keep the boat moving. At dawn we were only a few miles closer to Ensenada, but as the wind returned, we picked up some speed and sailed for the finish at good speed in good conditions (sunny and fair). But the closer we got to Ensenada, the less wind we had; we finished just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. Finishing with four boats in our class, we noted that our group of five boats had sailed 125 miles to finish within 5 1/2 minutes of each other.
Our crew sailed well together and made very few mistakes. Mike, Bill, Tina, Bruce and Joe made this race a fun and rewarding event for me and I thank them. We were the second Schock 35 (out of 6) to finish.

Balboa Beat

I’m posting from Maine Squeeze at the Balboa Y.C. in Newport. After dinner with good friends Paul and Merridee last night, I returned to the boat for a good night’s sleep (maybe my last for a few days.
This will be a busy day ending with the big party tonight. It’s quiet now, but soon the racing crews will be working to ready the boats. The rest of our crew will arrive soon.

C.I. to Newport in 12 Hours

Every once in a while the planets line up just right. Your boat is trim. You feel good. You should feel really good…you’re sailing at 10 knots with a cool breeze spilling from a sunny sky. Pass me a beer.

Yesterday I crewed on Maine Squeeze in the Channel Islands to Newport (Ensenada Tune-up) race. After our start at 9 a.m., we had to sail away from shore to find wind. Once the wind filled in a little, we set the spinnaker and headed for Newport. Most of the other boats went farther out and therefore sailed a greater distance.

Pretty soon we were cruising along at 6 knots. As the day progressed our speed increased with the wind. Now and then the knotmeter showed 10 knots, then 11, topping out at 11.9!

The wind held until we reached the Newport Pier (the finish line). The crew reflected on our performance: no big mistakes, good navigation. We sailed over 80 miles in 12 hours which was remarkable considering our slow start.

Next stop is Ensenada.

Two races and three parties.

On Saturday I raced  with Maine Squeeze in the CIYC “Lady at the Helm” event a day!  The wind was offshore and warm, giving us a smooth, fast ride to the marks.  As the breeze shifted around to the south, it cooled us down and enabled the crew to carry our spinnaker right to the harbor entrance.  After finishing, we joined the party at the clubhouse and picked up our 3rd place trophy.  It was a fun race, with Sherrie Taylor at the helm (nice job, Sherrie!), but the crew got a good workout with many sail changes.

Sunday gave us another sunny day, but cooler due to the different wind direction.  This was the Port Royale Regatta (a series of short races) and Mike Taylor’s 50th birthday.  His birthday present was a 1st place!
Mike’s friends on H dock threw him a party after the race.  Our crew enjoyed the dock party until it was time for the CIYC party/race results.

One of the best things about the racing/yacht club scene is meeting new friends.  In the last year or so, I have met some very cool people: Mike, Sherrie, Dave, Sandra, Dylan, Dan, Karen, Mike W., Bill, Tina, Bruce, Harry, Bunny to just name a few.

Reservations are made

On June 2nd, I will fly to Nassau to join Don and Debra on Starship, a 50 ft. custom trimaran. We will sail the boat, with the help of the Gulf Stream, up to Boston. With good weather, we should make the trip in a week or so, but if north winds appear, it will take longer. You don’t want to navigate the Gulf Stream in north winds. We’ll do some cruising up in the area for a while before I return.

Home from the hospital

On Monday, Leigh checked into the hospital after feeling shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. She was treated for pulmonary embolism and released yesterday. She will be fine.

I’m posting this from a room in a hotel in Desert Hot Springs. And I’m using my new toy, an iPod Touch. Next, I’ll watch some surf videos that I downloaded (free) from iTunes.

Thank you, Henson’s Music

Henson’s Music store, in Ventura, has been good to me and my students.  Every week I visit the store and pick up an instrument to share with the kids.

I show them how the instrument is  played, how to handle it, what it sounds like and the role it plays in music.

The students are always highly interested and have lots of questions.

Henson’s is making it possible for over 500 children to learn about musical instruments.  Adam, the manager, made all the arrangements.  Thanks, Henson’s!

Talent Show

Citrus Glen and Pierpont choruses will combine to sing in the Festival of Talent at Ventura High on Feb. 23.  The show will feature twenty acts ranging from dance to music to drama.  Eighty acts auditioned for the show last week.

Two new blogs

I’m now writing blogs for the choruses at Citrus Glen and Pierpont.  Hopefully, this will help me keep the kids, and especially their parents, up-to-date on chorus events.

Citrus Glen                Pierpont

08 Races

No, not the political races, the important ones!

08 will be busy with regattas, fun races, ocean races, overnighters and Wet Wednesdays! Yeah! Bring ‘em on.

My favorites are the longer distance events: Santa Barbara to King Harbor, Channel Islands to Newport and Newport to Ensenada.

Wet Wednesdays are short and fun and most of the races are followed by a good party.  There are almost forty races and several will require 2-7 days (including deliveries back to home).

Here’s a calendar listing this year’s races(opens in a new window).

Maine Squeeze

We finally did it! Maine Squeeze won her first race yesterday and owner/skipper Mike Taylor was named “Racer of the Year” by the Channel Islands Yacht Club. Quite a day for Mike and his crew.

The race, sponsored by Pacific Corinthian YC, was the final one in their TGIS ( Thank God It’s Sunday) series. Ten boats started in light wind conditions and nine finished.

After a nearly perfect clean-air start, we trimmed the boat and started dominating the fleet. At the mark we passed the only boat in front of us and never lost the lead. We finished the race, returned to the slip, put the boat away and celebrated for an hour or more before some of the other boats finished the race.

Later that evening we all attended the annual racer awards banquet at CIYC where various trophies were awarded to members active in the racing scene this year. No one was surprised when Mike Taylor received the Racer of the Year trophy. Mike was recognized not only for his racing accomplishments, but also for bringing new members and participants into the game. My thanks go out to Mike, his wife Sherrie, Dave, Sandra, Dylan, Harry, Bunni, and Dan for being friends and sharing their love of sailing with me.

Happy Birthday, Leigh!

On Oct. 11th, we celebrated Leigh’s birthday (the big six-oh) with a trip to Santa Barbara. We enjoyed two nights at the MarMonte Hotel while visiting the zoo and shopping downtown. A few days later, we boarded an Island Packers boat for a trip to Santa Rosa Island.After an orientation covering the features of the island, we took a 5 mile hike into Cherry Canyon to this vist point. It was a clear, sanatana-like day with 40 mile visibility, so the view was spectacular.

Outrageous!

That’s the only word I can think of to describe the surf here since Monday. Hollow A-frame barrels, offshore winds holding sections up, and warm weather all lined up to produce perfection. No crowd.
Thankgodi’masurferboy!

Happy Halloween!

This is my all-time favorite halloween song, the Monster Mash.

I made this mp3 in about 2 hours with GarageBand.

Time For A New Boat

It’s not what you think. We’re not selling First Star. But Mike Taylor has sold Harmony, the Erickson 29 on which I have been crew, and bought a Schock 35! Racing this boat is going to be like sailing a smaller Santa Cruz 50. Mike is trying to come up with a name for his new boat (now called Par Avion) and is considering Maine Attraction, Maine Event and Maine Squeeze. (Mike’s from Maine)

Good-Bye Dave

Former AHS band director and friend Dave Ameele passed away earlier this week, a victim of cancer.  I worked with him for several years and since our offices and rooms were adjoining, I was familiar with his program.  He was Anaheim’s band director.  People who have played in bands and orchestras know that the director’s job is very challenging, very rewarding  and very demanding.  Twelve-hour days are not uncommon.  Football half-times, band reviews, parades, festivals and fundraisers eat up the weekend.  He made the students work hard and he liked to joke around with them.  Sometimes he got angry and yelled at the kids, embarrass them or belittle them.

Dave was re-assigned a few years ago to teach reading instead of band.  It took a lot out of him.  He put a group together and played gigs in L.A..  He said he was happy teaching reading because it gave him more time for his own music.  He didn’t fool me.  I know he wanted to be a band director again, that he missed the excitement and the pride.

What does it all mean?  It means we should all live our dreams because the day will come when we will dream no more.

Citrus Glen Update

This year is off to a great start!  I’m teaching kindergarten Tuesday and Thursday mornings, then first and second grades in the afternoons.  I’ve also added the third grade on Wednesday, early afternoon.  My lessons are created from the California Standards.  The children are very excited and responsive.  They love the songs I’m teaching and readily absorb the fundamental concepts of music I introduce to them.

Chorus has grown to over 40 singers.  We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays after school.  These kids are very talented and enthusiastic.  Our first performance will be Nov. 9.

A New Assignment At Pierpont Elem.

I’ve been hired by Larry Hardesty, principal, to teach music at Pierpont in Ventura.  Starting in October, I’ll teach kindergarten, first and second grades on Wednesday mornings; I’ll also teach chorus on Wed. afternoons, 2:30-3:30.

This schedule will not conflict with my classes at Citrus Glen.

Pierpont is a small school (less than 300 students) located on the beach.  Mr. Hardesty took me on a tour of the school and introduced me to most of the teachers after my interview on Sep. 19.  He is very proud of his school, and I was impressed during my visit.

Thanks go to Elke Fedde, co-principal at Citrus Glen and currently on leave of absence, who recommended me for this gig!

51-50 wins class in S.B. to K.H. race.

I was lucky to crew on Mike Warnz’s Santa Cruz 50, 51-50, in the Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race. We covered the 81 mile course in 12 hours and 45 minutes to beat all boats in our class and finish 6th overall ( out of 100 boats).

The crew was top shelf (myself excepted), including Todd (tactics overall command) Keith of Quantum Sails (navigation, trim) Mike Taylor on foredeck and six other very experienced sailors.

After a great start, the crew pushed 51-50 out in front of the pack. Reaching in light airs, we sailed a rhumb line for the west end of Anacapa Island. Many other boats headed offshore for more wind, making their courses longer, and fell further behind. The bigger boats had started before us but were still in sight, so we knew we were doing well. The wind picked up a little and we were able to set a spinnaker and started marching at 8 knots. After arriving at Anacapa, we hugged the coast of the island to catch the current while other boats in the fleet went further down the course to avoid the wind shadow. After clearing the island, we had good wind (13-17 knots) which allowed us to set a different spinnaker and run at 9+ knots for quite a few hours before the wind lightened. Luckily, we were only a few miles from the finish and were able to ghost in and finish before the wind shut down completely.

After we closed the bar, many of the 11 man crew were picked up by friends or spouses. By mid morning the next day, only Warnz and I were left to pick up the trophies, 1st place in ULDB-B (ultra light displacement boats), and a perpetual trophy for our overall time.

Mike’s girlfriend, Jill, drove down and, after dinner, she and Mike got a room, so I had the boat to myself. After a very quiet and restful night, Mike and Jill returned, then Mike and I delivered 51-50 back to Ventura.

Everyone was happy with the boat, crew, weather and our standing. We even beat Alchemy (Andrews 70) boat for boat.

Welcome

This is where we share our concerns.

Music For Children

Lately I have been writing music (instrumental) for children, say 6-11 year olds. The songs are short and come with mp3 accompaniment files, the music notation, tablature and other teaching aids that can be used in private or classroom instruction. The melodies, played by the student, are simple, using only a few notes and elementary rhythm patterns. I’ve tested four of these songs on students at Marina View School in Oxnard with great success. The mp3 files are the key. They have the sound tracks (created with GarageBand) in rock, funk and jazz styles. After the kids learn to play the song, they can play it along with the mp3 tracks. It’s like playing lead guitar in a band.
I’ve transposed all the files and teaching aids for the recorder (small, flutelike instrument), which I’ll use next school year at Citrus Glen.

Harmony Wins Frenchy’s Rum Run