Table of Contents

Main Stories

Short Tacks

Regular Features

Around the World of Sailing

25 September  2002

Finish Line

Linky Sailing News

Charles Quigly and team at the Mallory Cup....Guiseppe Abba’s Alina at the Mumm 30 Worlds...Australia's Bundock/Forbes at the Tornado Worlds...Augie Diaz/Jon Rogers won the  Snipe Western Hemispheres........Wisconsin wins Fall Fury

Water Level Update

Reference Point
Difference from Chart Datum +8
Difference from last month -3
Difference from last year +8
Difference from long term average for September -13
Difference from Record High -46
Difference from Record Low +18
Forecast for 20 October 2002 -2

Below you'll find water level info that pertains
to Lake Michigan and Huron.
For information on other lakes see:
http://huron.lre.usace.army.mil/levels/weekly.html

Rowing Reporter

The Rowing Reporter is a weekly column of commentary and
observations by Ike Stephenson, Marine Informationist. It
concentrates on the home waters of Around the World of
Sailing, Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake.
****************
A Fish Sea Story?

A fairy tale starts out 'once upon a time'. They say a sea
story beings, 'No sh*t this really happened'

The recent adventures of one Richard Van Pham bring to mind
the elastic quality of sea yarns. Mr. Van Pham claims to
have been lost at sea for 100 days. He was found off Costa
Rica by a US Naval Vessel. He had left Long Beach for
Catalina Island in late May/early June. He was dismasted and
had no motor. 

Van Pham then says he lived off the ocean. His diet was a
combination of yellowtail, tuna, roasted sea gull with
rainwater for liquid. Additionally he had a VCR that was
solar powered. Once the Navy found Van Pham and his 26 foot
sailboat they sank it rather than attempt a tow. 
Unfortunately for Van Pham he was a liveaboard and so his
home is at the bottom of the ocean. He had a brief moment as
a TV celebrity appearing on Good Morning America.

So far, so good. However turn a sailorly, skeptical mind to
this: "When he awoke the next morning, Mr Pham said he
discovered his mast snapped like a dry cattail and his main
and jib sails trapped and torn beneath the hull." If this
is accurate Mr. Pham slept all too soundly through a
dismasting. Yes, this is the no sh*t part! Further the
Long Beach to Catalina passage is one of high traffic,
indicating that Mr. Van Pham didn't exercise very
seamanlike judgement. I'd question the veracity of this
tale. 

However, a 49 year old California scientist apparently does
not. He hopes to donate a Coronado 25 to Van Pham. 

In any event good luck to Mr. Van Pham whatever tale is next
for him.
********* 
Sailing Quotation # 1

The following is from the press conference on Day 1 of the
America's Cup trials. As they say, 'we report, you decide'

Q: There was a new sticker on your boat today, Viagra. The
question is whether Viagra is the supplier or the sponsor?

Peter Isler (Team Dennis Conner): It's a good question
Bruno, what do you guys think? Haven't seen the supplies yet
but the sponsorship is certainly much appreciated.

Peter Harrison (GRB Challenge): The GBR position would say
we were facing up today to a bunch of hardened
professionals. 
******** 
Sailing Quotation # 2

"Does your boat have big battery banks, gensets, inverters,
refer and all that...stuff people insist on hanging off
their pulpit-arch thing."

Designer Robert Perry in a recent issue of Sailing Magazine.
http://www.perryboat.com/. Call up the photo at
http://www.sagayachts.com/saga43/photos/8b.jpg and you will
see that the Saga 43 a recent Perry design is pulpit-arch
thingless.

True I have always wondered about these arch fixtures. To
me they've always called to mind a roll bar. Much like one
would see on a jeep or dune buggy that a West Michigander
would take to the sand dunes. Except that most boats thus
equipped don't seem capable of speed that would harm you. 
They also seem to do a fine job of getting the weight of
radars etc. higher up in the air lessening stability. I've
never figured out whey they are actually needed- wait where
else to mount your TV satellite dish!

I've always enjoyed Perry's well written design reviews. 
Now I have another reason to like him! 
*******************
Sailing Quotation # 3

"I work on the boat [write] beacause a wind vane steers and
I have 2 solar panels that keep the battery charged and
power the laptop." 
Gary Paulsen/http://www.garypaulsen.com

Paulsen, an author of more than 100 books has a cruising
catamaran that he plans to solo around Cape Horn.

Paulsen says when he writes it is full on, often to the extent
of 20 hour days. Probably need to sail in the tropics to
get enough sun for 20 hours of laptop time!

It would seem from a review of Paulsen's bibliography that
he maybe prepared for Cape Horn. Many of his books are
about adventure and survival. For instance, "In Hatchet,
13-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the
Canadian wilderness, armed with his hatchet and
resourcefulness."

Maybe I'm biased as I am too a writer. A pair of solar
panels to power a laptop seems better than an arch-pulpit
creation on which to perch your dish.

However, before Paulsen sets out he should read Tim Kent's
latest from Everest Horizontal " The letter following "A" in
the alpha*et is not working. I am su*stituting an "*" for
that letter. If I can not resucitate this key*oard, these
leaks just cost the program a new laptop....The laptop died
completely yesterday after taking two *ig drops of nice,
salty water directly on the key*oard, getting around my
makeshift um*rella. A quick shot of electronic cleaner
revived it...I tried twice to fix this key*aord, to no
avail. Anyone who has a Pentium 2 or newer laptop in good
shape that they would like to donate to the program, don't
delay."