Welcome New Members - SSSS Clubhouse

October Meeting: The Sailor Who Sank Himself 

Aloha. Please join me in a warming welcome for our next guest speaker, Les Eldridge, a 

resident of both the island of O’ahu and Puget Sound who will be transitioning climes, 

accompanied by his wife, Mary, not long before our October 12 th Meeting. Les will regale us 

with tales about Charles Wilkes, “a brilliant and arrogant US Navy cartographer, and how his 

ego cost him the glory he deserved. His Puget Sound explorations and his legacy in the Pig War 

and the Civil War combine 

achievement, conflict and 

tragedy.” Since some 

might wonder, I’ll clue 

you in a bit: the Pig War 

was a boundary dispute, 

circa 1859, between 

Americans and the British 

due to ambiguities as to 

the actual boundary 

between the United States 

and British North America 

in the region of the San 

Juan Islands. Excepting 

one large black pig, it was 

a bloodless conflict. 

Les taught maritime 

history for 30 years in 

Washington colleges, and 

chaired the maritime 

committee of the 

Ship-to-Shore 

Volume 40 Issue 2 October 2010 http://www.ssssclub.com 

Washington State Centennial Commission. He is the author of three novels in a series on the 

American Civil War at sea: The Chesapeake Command (2005), Gray Raiders, Green Seas 

(2007), and The Wake of the Woonsocket (2008). His fourth novel, completing the Civil War 

segment of his series and returning his heroes to the Northwest, The Pride of Pascagoula, will 

be available at our SSSS Meeting. He also co-authored The Wilkes Expedition, Puget Sound 

and the Oregon Country (1987), a history, and frequently presents his lecture series, Oceans of 

History, Seldom-told Tales of the Seven Seas, aboard several major cruise lines. 

Les began his series after retiring from careers in university administration, elected office, 

and administrative law. He held appointments from five Washington State governors and the 

Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. He is a US Army veteran. And ‘round 

this time of the year, he is our delightful, esteemed neighbor. 

A hui hou, ‘til we next meet, … Thank you, Les. 

Deanna Frost 

PARKING FOR THE GENERAL MEETING 

If you are parking in the OYC lot be sure to sign in at the door when you arrive at the General 

Meeting. The OYC caretaker uses this information to determine who belongs and doesn't belong 

in the lot, and tows those who don't belong. 

Commodore’s Corner: 

Hello fellow SSSS family and friends. As I wondered about the topic for the Commodore’s 

article, Halloween came to mind, a holiday that is known for the phrase Trick-or-Treat and that 

brought all of you to mind. 

MEMBERS RECOGNIZED : DOG RESCUE : CRUISING SOUTH : NAMES 

The South Sound Sailing Society’s Newsletter 

Star match racing photo: Susan Willis 

More Star match race photos by Susan on line 

Welcome New 

Members 

Fall Series Race 2 

October 2 

first start noon 

Board Meeting 

October 5 

1800 Apollos 


October 9 


General Meeting 

October 12 

Visitors Welcome 

Doors open at 1830, meeting starts 1900 

New Members Social 

October 13 

West Bay 

Star haul out 

October 13 

SSSS Night at West Marine 

October 14 


October 16 


Star haul out 

October 17 

Eagle Island Race 

October 23 

Halloween Cruise 

October 30-1 

Longbranch 

Herron Island Race 

November 6 

General Meeting 

November 9 

Visitors Welcome 

Doors open at 1830, meeting starts 1900 

Dues are Due 

$40 or $75 with race fee

Ship-to-Shore October 2010 

Let me begin with Treat. It is a treat to 

serve you as your Commodore. It is at 

treat to be involved with all the SSSS 

activities, racing, cruising, and socializing. 

And, most importantly it is a treat to get to 

know you. Joe and I moved here about 5 

years ago and from my very first Meeting 

in November up until this very day, SSSS 

Members and friends welcomed us into 

the Club and we consider SSSS our 

Olympia family. That is a treat. 

Tricks are usually done in a way so we 

don’t know it’s coming or how it is done 

and we find ourselves smiling when it 

happens. I notice Tricks all the 

time with our Club. How is it that 

people show up to set up for our 

Meetings without being asked? 

How is it that folks stay and 

vacuum and dust floors after all 

the chairs are picked up? How is it 

that a person always gets on a boat 

when they become interested in 

crewing during a race? How is it 

that we maintain a positive culture 

within our Club and active 

membership in a struggling 

economy? The answer to these 

tricks is you. Without you we 

wouldn’t have a Club. For $40 you 

commit to being part of this magic 

and on behalf of the board, please 

accept our most sincere 

appreciation. 

But, please know, I am looking forward 

to someone contacting me with a Trick for 

our October Meeting. So, pick up the 

phone and call me, 584-6886, or e-mail 

me at MyraWdowning@aol.com, and let 

me know your idea. Looking forward to 

seeing you in October and smooth sailing. 

Myra Downing, Starlight, Star 6381 

Secretary’s Report 

The 2010-2011 membership year is off 

to a great start. Thanks to all who have 

renewed and a big welcome to our new 

and returning Members! 

The updated Membership Roster will be 

distributed at the November 9 th Meeting. If 

you have not yet renewed please submit 

your application and dues before or at the 

October 12 th Meeting to ensure you are 

included on the Roster. 

There are three ways to become a new 

Member or renew an existing 

Membership. 1. Print and complete the 

Membership Application from our web 

site staple a check to it and bring it to the 

October Meeting, or 2. mail your 

completed application in with your 

payment; or 3. complete your application 

on our web site and pay online using 

PayPal. 

If submitting dues by mail or on line 

remember to include the $5 shipping and 

handling fee if you would like your 

Membership Handbook mailed to you. 

Otherwise please see me at the next 

Meeting to pick up your Handbook. Please 

note Handbooks will be mailed after the 

Membership Roster is published in early 

Secretary’s Series, Race 2 photo: Drew Phillips 

More Secretary’s Series,Race 2 photos by Drew on line 

November. This is done to reduce shipping 

and handling costs. Thank you for your 

patience. 

Don’t forget, Race Fees are due! You 

must register and pay your fees in order to 

be scored. If you have paid your 

Membership dues you are entitled to one 

free buoy race. If you decide to continue 

racing you must register, get your 

handicap and pay your race fees. Please 

visit the SSSS Race Office on our web site 

for all the details. 

Want your business listed in the club’s 

on line Members Business List? Just fill 

out page two of the Membership 

Application form. It’s the best advertising 

deal in town. If you would like to advertise 

your business or services in the Ship-to- 

Shore, please contact Suzie Shaffer, our 

club Treasurer, to arrange payment and 

submit your ad to the S-t-S Editor, Steve 

Worcester. Guidelines and contact 

information can be found on our web site. 

Go to the Business Office and click on 

How to place an Ad in our newsletter. 

As always, please feel free to contact 

me at secretary@ssssclub.org or 451-2501 

if you have questions about your 

Membership or the Handbook. October 

looks to be a very busy month for the 

Club. Hope to see you at the Meeting, the 

New Member’s Social, and out on the 

water! 

Cheers! 

Sandy Whitmore 

Calendar Notes 

We still have a limited number of 2010- 

11 SSSS wall calendars for sale. If you 

want one see our Past 

Commodore at the next 

Meeting. They are going 

fast. 

I’d like to thank the 

numerous people who 

provided wonderful images 

for the calendar. They had to 

dig around in their digital 

files to find specific pictures 

I was looking for, and get 

them to me, sometimes in 

multiple batches that slowed 

Western Washington’s 

Internet highway to a crawl 

at times! This year’s 

calendar features the images 

of Sandy Whitmore, Mike 

Visser, Drew Phillips, Mark 

Welpman, Joe Downing, 

Steve Wyant, and Jim Findley. Many other 

Members contributed small shots we used 

to accent the calendar pages. Thanks to all 

of them for taking their cameras sailing 

with them, and for shooting in high 

resolution. 

One thing common to all the feature 

photos is that they were shot in high 

resolution. High resolution, in large or full 

format, is essential for any large images 

that are to be printed in the calendar. These 

images will typically be 3 – 8 MB in size, 

and have enough digital detail that they 

can be printed in medium to large sizes 

with clarity. 

Thanks for the great response on the 

calendar, and to those of you who help 

make it happen! 

Thera Black 

The S-t-S Needs Photos 

I have a lot of good photos from this 

summer, but I need new ones. Please take 

your camera sailing and send us copies.


Sportsmanship Award 

In June Ms. Thera Black was awarded 

the SSSS Sportsman Award. This is a 

prestigious award presented by our Club. It 

is given to a Member who has gone above 

and beyond the call of duty for several 

years. The selection is very difficult 

because all the nominees are deserving of 

this honor but only one is selected. Thera 

rose to the top of the list for several 

reasons. One, she always does more than 

anyone realizes. 

She joined our club in 1994. She was a 

liveaboard on a Buchan 37 call 

Brass Ring. She sold that boat 

eight years ago and has since 

been partners in a little 15’ 

Whitholtz catboat. She has raced 

with Rod Tharp since 1996, first 

on Strider and now on Pax. 

Thera began working with the 

Board in 2002. She served as 

Secretary for two years, Program 

Chair, and then Vice- 

Commodore, Commodore, and 

Past Commodore. 

Since I have been with SSSS, I 

have witnessed this commitment 

over and over. During our Toliva 

Shoal festivities, look into the 

kitchen and you will find Thera 

there. She began working with Jan Visser 

in the kitchen in 1998 and took over 

responsibility for kitchen duties with Suzie 

Shaffer when Jan retired in 2009. She must 

like to cook, because she has stood side by 

side with Thom Abbott behind the grill for 

our June Meeting BBQ for about ten years. 

And she hosts the Ship-to-Shore folding 

crew, which she has participated on for 

many years, for a holiday celebration every 

year. Three years ago she took the 

initiative to create and produce a wall 

photo calendar of all our Club events that 

is a popular Past Commodore sales item. 

Thera is a strong and active supporter of 

SSSS and we are better because of her. I 

couldn’t write this article without saying 

that one of my first memories of SSSS is 

of Thera. I came into a Meeting, she was 

talking, and I was very impressed with her 

strength, her positive energy, and her 

knowledge of the Club and sailing. We are 

fortunate to have Thera as part of our 

family. Congratulations Thera on a well 

deserved award. 

Myra Downing, Starlight, Star 6381 

New Life Member 

Last spring our Board nominated Bill 

Brosius to be awarded Life Membership. 

The Membership agreed and voted him 

this honor at the September 2010 Meeting. 

Most Members know Bill as The Lord of 

the Stars, because he created our Star Fleet 

and built it into the largest Star Fleet in the 

country. For ten years he has mothered the 

Fleet and helped maintain everyone’s boat. 

If you are not familiar with the history of 

the Fleet, see our nomination of Bill for the 

USSA One-Design Leadership Award and 

Portsmouth Fall Regatta photo: Jim Findley 

More Fall Regatta photos on line 

accompanying slide show (link on the Star 

page, must have PowerPoint for the slide 

show). 

This alone may be reason enough to give 

him a Life Membership. How ever, 

whether people know it or not, Bill has 

done a lot more for our Club than that. Bill 

has helped fix more than Stars. He has 

shared his time, knowledge, and skill, not 

to mention tools and shop space, with more 

sailors with boat problems than I can keep 

track of. Shortly after he came to town, 

Bill took over the running of the Thursday 

Night Races. He ran them for years, until 

he got too busy with the Stars to do both. 

The Thursday Night Races are still run out 

of his power boat. He also let’s us use the 

boat to set and retrieve marks for the 

PHRF races. He has even done some of the 

setting and retrieving. It has been the RC 

boat of last resort when the boat assigned 

had problems. Bill did committee for a 

number of PHRF races, even after he quit 

racing his boat PHRF and was not 

obligated to. 

Bill races more than Stars. He raced 

Thursday nights for a year or two before 

taking over as RC. He raced his Star 

PHRF for a few years before forming the 

Star Fleet. He still races PHRF, on other 

people’s boats now. When his Star is in 

the water, Bill will take just about anyone 

sailing who wants to go. He has 

introduced countless people to our sport 

this way. When the Club wanted to invite 

the public for a trial sail, he organized the 

Stars to support it. One time there were so 

many people on the dock at West Bay 

waiting for their sail that they sank it deep 

enough to set off the alarm. The Star Fleet 

also supplied the boats for the Women’s 

Sailing Group. 

In recognition of all he has 

done for SSSS, the Club made 

Bill Brosius our newest Life 

Member. 

Steve Worcester 

Cruise News 

HALLOWEEN CRUISE 

LONGBRANCH / FILUCY 

BAY ON KEY PENINSULA, 

OCTOBER 30-31 

It’s a Dead Bands Party!!! Get 

out your Kiss Costume. Be Elvis 

or the Grateful Dead and come 

be part of SSSS Halloween 

Cruise. This year’s theme is 

Dead Rockers Ball. As most of 

you know the Halloween Cruise is the 

best, and I mean the best Cruises of the 

entire year! Again this year it is at 

Longbranch/Filucy Bay on Key 

Peninsula. For your information the web 

site is 

http://www.longbranchimprovementclub. 

org. 

This is the Cruise to cut loose and have 

a good time. Every year we have tons of 

Pirates, Ghosts, Goblins and even a 

couple of hell hounds, dress up pups. 

Trick or treat at all the boats. Pumpkin 

carving contests, scary movies, Halloween 

boat contests and plenty of grog for all. 

Did I mention all the food? It’s just wild. 

Don’t forget the waffles on Sunday 

morning. We usually have 40 plus boat. 

You can literally walk across the water 

and not touch water because of all the 

boats. It’s a must see event. This is a great 

opportunity to meet a lot of sailing folks 

and get to know the Club. 

Longbranch Marina has power for your 

electrical heaters, a nice enclosure area for 

the festivities. Don’t forget to bring


something for the potluck. Get your 

costume, your sweetie or your buddies and 

get your boat to Longbranch for a really 

great Cruise. If you don’t have a boat, 

come by car. See you on the water! 

Mark Welpman 

Your friendly neighborhood Cruise 

Race Chair Report 

Hello sailors! Another racing season is 

upon us!! As I write this, you are perhaps 

arriving at OYC for the first Meeting of 

the South Sound Sailing Society. And, the 

first race of the Fall Series is this Saturday. 

Having raced several seasons 

on Balder, I look forward to the 

Fall/Winter/Spring races: a 

change of pace from buoy 

racing, and a chance to focus on 

attaining maximum boat speed, 

and using cunning and tactics 

to utilize the wind and currents. 

Looking back over the 

summer, and indeed the whole 

year, my happiest 

accomplishment was that over 

35 plus races, every Member 

showed up for their appointed 

race committee assignment. I 

want to thank you all for that. 

The Race Chair position is a 

big job already without having 

to fill in for someone, and you 

all saved me from that!! Let’s 

do that again in 2010-2011!! 

Another thing to be thankful for is your 

safety record: there were no injuries that I 

know of due to improper sailing, lack of 

attention, or just plain accidents. This is a 

huge accomplishment, given all that can go 

wrong out there. Thanks for playing it safe. 

Looking forward again, remember to 

look over the PHRF chapter in the 

Handbook if you are a PHRF racer, and 

pay special attention to dates and start 

times. Remember to check our web site 

periodically for changes to the sailing 

instructions. 

Big changes this year: remember that on 

one-flag buoy races, the leeward mark is 

either the Committee boat or the pin end of 

the start line, and you have the pleasure of 

rounding either one. On two-flag buoy 

races, remember that the start/finish line is 

the end of each lap that the Race 

Committee instructs you to race. You are 

required to cross it as you complete each 

lap. At any time during a race you realize 

that you went the wrong way, either 

incorrectly crossing or avoiding the 

start/finish line, your only remedy is to 

retrace your path to the point where you 

can sail the course correctly, and proceed 

from there. Fun stuff!! 

Lastly, a big congratulations to the six 

crew who won Crew Awards during the 

summer racing. They are: Tom Keehan 

from Showtime, Catherine Slawson from 

Opposition, Bob Johnson from Opposition, 

Joe Ragucci from Opposition, Jon Pak 

from Releaf, and Grant Gilman from Sugar 

Magnolia. 

Joe Downing, Starlight 

Bodacious, First Wednesday Night Series Race 2 photo: Joe Downing 

More Wednesday Night Race photos on line, by Joe and others 

Star Racing 

It is hard to believe we are talking about 

October activities as we get into 

September, except the sun rises later and 

sets earlier each day. I am sure many share 

my feelings, I am not ready for this yet. 

The rains just in the last few days after 

Labor Day is a sure reminder we all need 

to prep our boats and minds that fall is 

coming. 

It has been a busy month with trying to 

complete two project boats in the shop 

before we haul the fleet in early October. 

The first haul out will be Wednesday 

October 13, the second Sunday October 

17. I will remind all Star owners to get the 

bottoms of their boats cleaned before the 

haul out and to unload all equipment on 

the boat. 

I am also planning a fall get together 

here at my place on November 14, a 

Sunday afternoon It will include a pot luck 

and a short meeting. I will invite the new 

Gig Harbor fleet to join us. 

I had the opportunity to crew in the 

North American’s in LA in August and it 

was a great experience. I crewed for David 

Branch, one of our fleet members. While 

down there, I arranged to bring home a 

bunch of nearly new sails and a broken 

mast which I will splice and make good for 

our fleet. Derek DeCouteau, from our fleet, 

and his crew from Seattle did very well in 

a regatta before the NA’s placing 4 th . They 

were 12 th in the NA’s. David and I placed 

37 th out of 42 boats. It was interesting 

sailing out in the ocean off Marina Del 

Ray, with 8-10 ft swells and 

winds from very light to up 

around 15 in one race. We did 7 

races over 5 days, including the 

practice race the day before. 

During the event, we sailed two 

races each day except the last 

day which only had one. I also 

had a chance to renew 

friendships with many of the top 

sailors and a chance to discuss 

boats and rig changes that have 

been made over the last few 

years. I was also surprised at 

how well known our fleet is 

among many sailors from the 

east coast as well as out of 

country. 

I am thinking of sitting out 

most of the PHRF races this 

winter and do other things 

around here as well as plan some trips with 

my wife for a change. I do this now and 

then just to recharge the batteries and relax 

without making any commitments. I will 

help out in a pinch when needed so feel 

free to call me. 

Bill Brosius, Alcor, Star 924 

BISF Match Racing 

Championships 2010 

Budd Inlet Star Fleet held its match 

racing championships August 23 rd and 

September 2 nd . It was a closely contested 

event with 6 teams participating in a round 

robin format. Annie Stockton and Jeff 

Kloppel are Fleet Match Racing 

Champions this year, congratulations!! We 

had 6 teams competing for the 

championship they included: Eric Egge - 

Colby Cavin, Jeff Kloppel - Annie 

Stockton, Jim Findley - Dave Serdar, Karl 

Schulmeisters - Andres Kleinbergs, John


Thompson - John Pac, and Sherwood 

Smith - Burke Anderson. 

The first 3 flights of the round robin 

were on Monday August 23 rd , with the 

final flights on Thursday September 2 nd . 

After the first day, it was very close 

between Eric-Colby and Jeff-Annie who 

both had 3 wins and no losses. Close 

behind was Karl-Andres who had 2 wins 

and one loss. On the first day of racing we 

had 6 knots of breeze out of the northeast, 

which allowed for some great match 

racing. A tug and barge come through the 

course and Eric-Colby made some evasive 

maneuvers to say out of her way and still 

managed to win their match against 

Karl-Andres. 

We completed the last of the 

match racing flights in light winds 

and the results were also quite close 

with John-John winning their last 

two races against Jim-Dave and a 

photo finish with their nose just 

ahead Sherwood-Burke. The race 

between Jeff-Annie and Eric-Colby 

had several lead changes before it 

was over with Jeff-Annie crossing 

the finish just ahead. Karl-Andres 

and Jeff-Annie had a very close 

match and Karl-Andres won a moral 

victory by beating the champions. 

Both Eric-Colby and Jeff-Annie 

finished the round robin with 4 wins and 

one loss, but Jeff-Annie won the 

championship by beating Eric-Colby in 

their head to head match. 

I hope all had a good time with this type 

of racing and we plan to have a fleet match 

racing championships next year. If 

participation warrants we’ll expand the 

event. I would like to thank by daughters 

Laura and Julia, and my wife Joan for 

helping out with the race committee duties, 

which helped to make this year’s event a 

success. 

Norm Smit, Star 7094, Tantalus 

Southern Sound Series 

Rep Report: 

2010-2011 Season! 

The 2010-2011 Southern Sound Series 

begins on Saturday, December 4 th , 2010. 

The Tacoma Yacht Club will sponsor the 

Winter Vashon Race, first in a four-race 

series that is usually filled with excitement 

and excellent racing. 

The second of the series, Duwamish 

Head, is sponsored by the Three Tree 

Point Yacht Club and will be conducted 

on January 8 th , 2011. 

The third race is our own Toliva Shoal 

on February 19 th . The Olympia Yacht 

Club and SSSS sponsor a great Friday 

night party and the longest race of the 

series. 

The series concludes on March 

19 th with the Islands Race hosted 

by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club. 

So, mark you calendars and start 

talking it up with your crew! 

Dave Knowlton, Koosah 

Women’s Boating Seminar photos by Jo Sohneronne 

Portsmouth Racing: 

Over for the year 

Well, we wrapped up our twentieth year 

of dinghy racing with the Fall 

Regatta/picnic/potluck/really fun day. We 

had good winds, no rain turning to 

sunshine, and a great group of people. 

What more could we want? Well maybe 

next year we’ll get you to come out and 

join in on the fun. 

We are close to having a one design 

fleet of Lasers. We’ll probably throw in a 

Fun Race here or there; they’re really 

great boat handling practice. And who 

knows what those crazy sailors will dream 

up for the new thing for next year. Let me 

tell you, it won’t be boring! 

Jim Findley, Not Sirius 

S-t-S Needs Letters 

Where did you take your boat this summer? 

Racing out of our area? Cruising to Canada? 

The San Juans? An extended stay in the boat 

yard? What did you learn? We would like to 

hear about it. Write and tell us. 

First Women’s Boating 

Seminar a Success! 

The first ever South Sound Women’s 

Boating Seminar, held September 18 at the 

Olympia Yacht Clubhouse, was a huge 

triumph! Fifty women attended the fullday 

event, coming from 

throughout western 

Washington and the 

Columbia Gorge area. 

Alison Mazon opened 

with a discussion of the 

various types of outboard 

engines, and how to keep 

them happy and healthy 

for fun, stress-free 

operation. Capt. Linda 

Lewis followed with an 

educational presentation 

about the proper use of 

VHF radio, and new developments in radio 

technology that increase safety on the 

water. An excellent lunch, delivered by Zia 

Betta Catering, provided fuel for a long 

afternoon of attentive listening. 

The first presentation of the afternoon 

was delivered by Kathryn Norris, teaching 

us how to perform basic maintenance on 

diesel engines. Next, Lynne Reister 

described the responsibilities of a boat 

surveyor and what you can, and should, 

expect of the survey process. South 

Sound’s very own Mary Campbell put the 

finish to the day with great stories of her 

single-handed sailing adventures in 

Alaska, complete with beautiful 

photography and music! 

Over a dozen wonderful door prizes 

were given away, ranging from a Helly 

Hansen women’s fleece jacket to books 

from the Armchair Sailor, culminating 

with the Grand Prize: a half-price boat 

survey by presenter Lynne Reister, won by 

SSSS member Deanna Frost! 

Exhibitors included Brindy 

Bundesmann, Armchair Sailor; Pat 

Brower, Olympia Power Squadron and 

Olympia Harbor Patrol; and the bravest, 

only, man of the day, Ron Holtcamp, U.S. 

Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 38. Major 

sponsors include Olympia Yacht Club 

Foundation, Burns Cove Marine, and 

Chiechi & Associates; we are very grateful 

to these organizations for their generosity. 

The organizing committee for the 

seminar consisted of Vickie August, Maria 

Chiechi Sponsorship Coordinator, Jane


Dickson Registration Coordinator, Capt. 

Mary Fitzgerald, Jo Sohneronne, and 

Micki McNaughton. Special thanks to 

SSSS webmaster Steve Worcester for his 

work on the WBS webpage; SSSS 

Treasurer Suzie Shaffer for handling the 

financials; and SSSS Program Chair 

Deanna Frost for supplying technical 

support the day of the seminar. 

The seminar would not have been 

possible without the generous support of 

both South Sound Sailing Society and the 

Olympia Yacht Club; we thank both of 

these organizations for making it possible 

for this long-held dream to be realized so 

successfully! 

Micki McNaughton, The Stargazer 

Letter: Dulcinea 

Rescues Foxy 

Friday August 6, 2010, 11:00. Guest 

from Idaho joined us on the Dulcinea for 

an afternoon of sailing. All excited about 

our guest first time adventure; we headed 

out. We passed the log yard and were 

adjacent to a condemned log float near 

Anthony’s Hearth side when our guest 

started calling out “Hi Kitty, Kitty, Kitty”. 

We looked over to see that it wasn’t a cat; 

but a little dog!! Hugh and I both said 

“That’s not right!” How do you suppose it 

got there? So we turned the boat around to 

begin our rescue. 

Nature Scenes by Suzie 

Custom Watercolors 

Boats and landscapes 

(360) 894-4288 naturescenes@comcast.net 

Jeanni 

e, having 

her life 

vest on, 

volunteer 

ed to 

step out 

onto the 

dilapidat 

ed float 

to rescue 

the very scared little white dog. She gently 

picked her up and brought her aboard. We 

wrapped her in a sweatshirt and cuddled 

her, trying to get her to relax. She was not 

responding to food or water yet. As we 

headed on our way we past the Harbor 

Patrol. We hailed them to report our little 

lost friend. They had no reports of a 

missing dog, so put out a bulletin on her. 

Off we go again! She is now responding 

to our comforting sooooo, we head out to 

sail! Wind was great. With minimum 

gibes we headed for Boston Harbor. 

Cruising at hull speed we were at Boston 

Harbor Light House in record time. We 

learned we could secure the cabin a lot 

better, which will be fixed before our next 

trip out. But, our new rescued pup handled 

it well! As things settled down, we offered 

the now named Boomer moist dog food 

and fresh water. She accepted!! She 

enjoyed being held and comforted by 

everybody on board. 

Returning to the slip around 4:00 pm, 

we leashed up the dogs to 

take them potty. While up 

on the grass a young man, 

Jim Findley, Rob Nelson, and Annie Stockton ran the R.C. Boat. Thank you 

Sail Skipper Type Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Total 

1 720 Nelson,Rick OMG 2 5 0.75 0.75 8.50 

2 68 Kloppel,Jeff ? 0.75 2 5 4 11.75 

3 1542 French,Kevin HPN5.2 3 6 2 3 14.00 

4 886 Krumm,Dennis FD 4 0.75 6 5 15.75 

5 137124 Pruitt,Casey Laser 6 DNC 3 7 DNC 2 18.00 

6 8858 Gosse,Jean LI 5 4 4 6 19.00 

7 162244 Marshall,Maddy Laser 6 DNC 7 DNF 3 7 DNC 23.00 

who we found was a premed 

student from 

California, stopped to 

admire and pet the dogs. 

He ask what breed each 

one was. Goliath, 4 lbs., 

and Misty, 4.5 lbs., were 

Yorkes. Mona, 8 lbs., was 

a Brussels Griffin. Boomer, 6 lbs., a 

Pomeranian/ Chihuahua. We wondered if 

we could have picked up a little more 

speed without all the weight of the dogs! 

The young man then looked at the white 

dog and said “Hey! I just saw a picture of 

this dog on the bulletin board down the 

dock a ways.” We were amazed! The four 

of us went to see the poster. Sure enough, 

there was a picture of our new found 

friend, named Foxy, with a phone number. 

So we called.The people happened to 

down town Olympia, 5 minutes away. 

They were ecstatic! 

They told us they just rescued the dog a 

week ago from a puppy mill; so it was still 

a little skittish. They went to Anthony’s 

for dinner the night before and when the 

mother got out of the car so did Foxy. 

They searched with flash lights till 1:00 in 

the morning with no luck. They resumed 

the search again later in the morning; still 

no luck! They were in a very depressed 

state until we called to tell them we found 

there baby! So, they reunited; it was very 

touching. 

We headed back to the Dulcinea with an 

empty feeling ... needing to regroup, but 

also happy for the people with Foxy. We 

called Harbor Patrol, canceled the bulletin, 

then poured a glass of wine and a close to 

another day and adventure! 

Happy sailing!!! 

Hugh Buchholz and Jeannie Carroll, Dulcinea 

Small projects done for free 

(360) 357-3952 Gudenuph@gmail.com


South Sound Sailing, brought to you 

by the Boat Name Gnomes!! 

Imagine if you will a Hope Island Race with the whole fleet, 

sailing in a Lightly Salted Zephyr of wind… Flying Circus of 

boats, approaching the Bodacious Olympia Shoal marker for the 

start. Inevitably there is an Edgewalker skirting the shoal for a 

Sassy advantage!! In Opposition to this would be the rest of the 

fleet, jointly crowding the line, avoiding Misconduct if at all 

possible. 

Suddenly, the gun sounds. Showtime: All boats searching for a 

lane, just like on I-5; All boats, searching for Liberty, searching 

for just the right combination of wind and current, as if they 

were Goldilocks testing the porridge. Oh Mercy!, some boats are 

totally Camouflage-d from the wind. Ouch! Others sailed into 

holes so big, it was as if someone opened Pandora’s Box!! You 

would need to be a Wizard to escape that. Were they racing, or 

zoning out to the Grateful Dead’s Sugar Magnolia? Looking at 

these boats adds new meaning to the words: Still Gladiator! 

Charlemagne himself would not lead such a becalmed bunch! 

Slowly, the boats spread out. A few skilled souls break free, 

and are positioned well when Releaf comes in the form of a dark 

cloud, portending a Gayle Force of wind from the South. If you 

had a Sea Wife below decks fixing Chips and Salsa, you would 

call upon her: “Kaitlin, please help me trim this spinnaker as 

Spiff-ly as possible!”, such was the upcoming D’Lavicea (cajun 

for “big wind”) 

Soon the Pax is shattered as the wind descends upon the fleet. 

The rocky ledge south of Hope is quickly skirted. The Island 

itself is rounded, and boats beat to weather as crew prayed for a quick 

passage to Maranatha, Inati, Balder, or other assorted Gods. But the 

winning boat was carried as if on a Magic Bus, or Silverheels. “He Lives!” 

they shouted, as the Race Committee, sipping on Vintage wine, gave that 

boat a “Beep Beep” 

as they finished. 

Was that your 

boat? 

Joe Downing 

Welcome Aboard New Members 

Please join us in welcoming the following Members to South 

Sound Sailing Society. Look for an opportunity to welcome them 

to South Sound’s best sailing community. 

Tim Toerber Varekai Beneteau 423 

Steve & Cathie Dayton Pondo May Sun 27 

Laura Sullivan & Jerry Valeske Steamy Windows Jeanneau 43 

Mike & Elizabeth Smith Freedom 34’ Sailboat 

Tom & Char Kaufer Karesta Mercator 30 

Scott & Charmayne Garrison Whimsical Catalina 34 

Stuart Halsan 

Jeannie Carroll Dulcinea Coronodo 27 

Andrew & Jessica Christensen Spitze Santana 22 

Janet Dickson 

Ralph & Doris Russo Tide Warrior Mainship 34 

John Shattuck & Debra Delzell Abrazo Cape Dory 28 

Tom & Cory Plantenberg Apsides(?) Catalina 30 

Wendy & Ken Eklund Waverly 22 

Welcome back! 

Larry and Paula Nelson Carpe Diem Catalina 30 

(absent for 2 years due to a fire on their boat started by the 

refrigerator) 

Art & Jan Broback 

W. Ian Christopher Uproar J/80 

Dick & Martha Ireland Sophia Carver 28 & Rinell 30 

Dennis & Kathy Gross Dancer Norwegian Kutter 

Sloop 23 (returning after 30 years!!!) 

Island Sailing Club and School 

ASA Certified 

Basic Through Offshore Classes 

& 

Junior Summer Camp 

700 NW Marine Drive, Olympia, WA 98501 

(360) 943-4684 (800) 303-2470 

www.islandsailingclub.com 

The Ship-to-Shore is published monthly, except July and August, 

by the South Sound Sailing Society, PO. Box 1102, Olympia WA 98507. 

The S-t-S is printed by Olympia Copy and Printing. 

Opinions expressed and products or services advertised do not necessarily 

reflect the policies of SSSS. Mention of products or trade names shall not 

constitute an endorsement by the S-t-S or SSSS of their use. 

If you are having a problem receiving the Ship-to-Shore, would like to submit 

a letter, article, or photo, run an advertisement, or have other questions or 

concerns contact the Editor : Steve Worcester 

2425 Otis Olympia WA 98501 (360) 352-9283 e-mail: sts@ssssclub.com 

Deadline for submissions is the second Tuesday of the month. 

2010-11 SSSS Board Members 

phone numbers are local, area code 360 

Commodore Myra Downing 584-6886 

Vice-Commodore Micki McNaughton 705-0372 

Secretary Sandy Whitmore 350-0652 

Treasurer Suzie Shaffer 894-4288 

Member-at-Large Deanna Frost 349-3286 

Race Chair Joe Downing 754-2346 

Cruise Chair Mark Welpman 908-2689 

Past Commodore Don Waterhouse 753-1850 

Our Handicapper is Rafe Beswick, 888-9844


Ditty Bag 

23' Norwegian Kutter wooden sloop. Excellent 

shape. Fast and beautiful. 2 mains, 1 jib, and 1 spinniker. 

Trailer available. Photo on line. $6500 OBO. 866-7991 

9.5 foot hand built Dinghy / Drift boat, beautiful almost new, 

Will deliver to South Sound or Portland $650. Brand new retail 

for $3,500 - $4,000. Contact Rick Giles 903-9571 or e-mail 

rick.giles@earcare.us for pictures. 

1975 Morgan 36T, 45 hp Westerbeke, Full array of sails: two 

spinnakers, blooper, and a back up main. Kiwi grip deck 

painted 2009. $22,000 obo. Call 867-4010 

Two anchor rodes: 120 feet; 140 feet. Triple strand, 1/2 inch 

nylon. Not used. $.60/ft OBO. Jerry Parker, 754-5747, 

jerome.parker@comcast.net 

Nesting Dinghy with sails, $3200. Pristine, new last year, built 

by Barry Nickols. Great sailor, great rower. See link in the ad 

on line or call us for more info 402-2301. 

DM Thistle Hull 1771 $5,500 contact Lee 259-1667 

Fireball: fiberglass, Boat and trailer $1500.00 To someone 

under 25 years $1000.00 Rick Bergholz 866-4230 

Marine toilet: GROCO Type K marine toilet recently factory 

rebuilt. Retails for $855, buy for $250. Electric conversion 

available $200 Mel 951-0000 melkowal@cox.net 

Ads are free for Members, run three months, and can be 

renewed. Contact me by the Meeting to be listed in 

the next S-t-S. 

Crew Sheet 

Crew Wants Ride 

Wendy Eklund 866-1554 weklund@juno.com 

Frederico Brugato, 259-3788, fbrugato@hotmail.com 

Justice, a Sea Scout. 870-8497, justice_aman96@live.com 

Charles Cronn, charlescronn@yahoo.com, 490-7749 

Derek Osborn, (206) 310-6592, Derek.Osborn@graybar.com 

Looking for Crew 

D’Lavicea, contact Terry dbleupher@aol.com, 459-2650 

Want a ride? You could be listed here for free: Ads run three 

months and can be renewed. Contact me by the Meeting to be 

listed in the next S-t-S 

This month, details inside: 

New Member Social 

West Marine Night 

Halloween Cruise 

South Sound 

Sailing Society 

PO Box 1102 

Olympia WA 98507 

PRESORTED 

STANDARD 

US POSTAGE PAID 

OLYMPIA WA 

PERMIT #480 

Drawing by Brenda Maltz


Womens Sailing Group 

It’s Fall, and Time for SSWSG to 

Gather! Yow, where did the summer 

go??!? Evenings are getting shorter, so it’s 

time to plan sails for the daylight hours of 

the weekends, and make use of cozy 

evenings to get together to learn from each 

other. 

SSWSG’s first get-together this fall will 

be the second Thursday of October, 

October 14, at 1800 at the home of Susan 

Willis, 3200 41st Way NW, off Cooper 

Point Road near Olympia. Susan will post 

directions on the SSWSG Yahoo group 

site. 

Please bring a potluck item to share; 

please be aware that many of our members 

are vegetarian. 

We’d like to have an idea how many to 

plan for so we’re not totally overwhelmed 

at this first meeting of the season. Please 

e-mail Micki with an RSVP at 

vicecommodore@ssssclub.com if you plan 

to attend. Thanks! 

Can’t wait to hear all the sea stories! 

Especially Jo Sohneronne’s trip to the 

north end of Vancouver Island!!! 

Micki McNaughton, The Stargazer 

Letter: Log of Bright 

Angel – Passage to 

San Francisco 

Friday, August 20, 2010: 

Ready to Leave Olympia 

After months, years, really, of 

preparations, with the last few weeks being 

hectic, to say the least, we are finally ready 

to slip the lines and leave Olympia. Well, 

we are not 100% ready, but as the old 

saying goes, If you 

wait until you are 

completely ready, 

then you will never 

leave. We are 

ready enough, and 

what we have yet 

to do we can do 

somewhere down 

the line! We have 

had lots of great 

help getting the last 

of the important 

projects finished up, most notably from 

Tim Laur of Gull Harbor Yacht Service in 

Olympia, and from David Ames, an old 

friend and great boat repair guy who now 

GO SAILING with ISLAND SAILING 

Want to skipper a boat on a SSSS Cruise? Want to race? Want to just 

have a casual day or evening on the Sound? Don’t own a boat? 

Members of Island Sailing Club have unlimited day sailing use of our boats. 

For about the price of a mooring rental you are free to go sailing anytime 

without the hassles of owning your own boat. We take care of the moorage, 

maintenance, cleaning, and insurance. 

Call Jon or Cathy for details or come down to Swantown Marina for a visit 

and see who we are. We are located in the Northwest corner of the large 

industrial building adjoining the boatyard. 

(360) 601-0638 

Iscolympia@islandsailingclub.com 

www.islandsailingclub.com 

700Marine Dr. NE Ste 105 Olympia, 98501 

lives in New Zealand, but who just 

happened to be in Olympia visiting and 

catching a few odd jobs before heading back 

to Kiwi Land. 

When the last of the projects were done, 

and everything was aboard but us, we 

decided we were just too tired to safely head 

out tonight. So, we had a nice dinner at a 

local Thai restaurant, and went to bed early; 

one last time at Slip 123, Olympia Yacht 

Club. Tomorrow we will head out to Port 

Townsend, where we will get the rig tuned, 

Fall Star Regatta September 25 

Principal Race Officers: George and Betty Hansen 

bow number Skipper Crew Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 total 

23 Derek Joseph 1 1 1 1 4 

35 David Branch Sue Branch 3 2 7 2 14 

30 Jeff Koloppel KyleReese-Cassal 2 3 3 8 16 

10 Eric Egge Colby Cayin 4 4 4 7 19 

25 John Thompson Jon Pak 6 6 2 7* 21 

1 Bill Brosius Brenda Maltz 8 7 6 3 24 

18 Carl Andres 5 5 8 6 24 

19 Steve Worcester Susam Willis 7 8 5 9 29 

5 Garth Random 9 9 9 5 32 

* average point penalty from arbitration 

top off the tanks, collect our crew, and head 

out to the end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca 

and turn left, with our destination for this 

leg of our journey being the San Francisco 

We also offer ASA certified instruction, Charters and rentals.


Bay area, Alameda, where we will drop off 

our crew, spend a few days relaxing and 

doing maintenance, then head on down to 

San Diego. We hope to be in San Diego by 

the end of September. Then, on October 25, 

we will join about 150 other boats in the 

XVII Baha Ha Ha and cruise on down to 

Cabo San Lucas, to start our exploration of 

Mexico and the Sea of Cortez. 

Saturday, August 21, 2010: 

Olympia to Kingston 

By 0700 we were away from the dock; a 

rather emotional moment for both of us! It 

was a bright sunny morning, and oddly 

quiet; there was no one else 

around that we could see. 

And as is frequently the case 

in the South Sound, there 

was no wind, so we motored 

on out Budd Inlet. 

We had been warned to 

expect things to break, but 

we did not expect it to 

happen so soon. As we 

pulled away from the slip, 

the knot meter was stuck, 

and none of our usual tricks 

would free it. 

We arrived in Kingston, 

after a leisurely and 

uneventful day of motoring; 

when the wind finally came 

up, what little of it there 

was, was on the nose. We 

got a slip one down from 

another South Sound boat, 

Roger and Suzie Shaffer’s 

Boru. We enjoyed visiting 

with them, and our other 

dock neighbors. 

We got the name of a 

local diver from one of the 

ladies in the Port office; we called him, and 

he came down and pulled a stick out of our 

knot meter impeller! What are the chances 

of that happening? 

And, what are the chances of your crew 

calling you, like ours did, and pulling out at 

the eleventh hour? 

You will need to finish Bob Hargreaves 

story on line. Find a link to their log on our 

web site and follow them as they go south. 

Warm Weather in February 

The Lake Havasu Pocket Cruisers have 

invited anyone with a trailerable boat to a 

week long party at Lake Havasu, on the 

Colorado River. Weather should be 75-80, 

sunny, wind 8-10. February 14-24 Details 

on line. 

Cruise News 

COMMODORES’ CRUISE 

VAUGHN BAY 

Friday I was up and running, well kind of 

sort of. I made several false starts to get out 

of the house. I had lost my crew the night 

before and now was single handing the trip. 

The skies were partly cloudy with sun 

breaks and the fall air was cool. Not a bad 

start to a weekend. 

As I pushed the motor up to cruising 

speed I heard the motor making a funny 

noise. I dropped down the hatch and 

Fall Series Race 1 September 18 

D’Lavicea was RC. Thank you. 

Finish Corrected 

Points Sail No. Yacht Name Yacht Type Rating Time Time 

H-CLASS Start Time: 12:00 Distance: 8 nm 

0.75 69382 OPPOSITION HUMB 30 108 14:00:31 13:46:07 

2.00 18351 MISS CONDUCT OLSN 29 102 14:03:39 13:50:03 

3.00 18633 I5 SANZ 33 117 14:13:00 13:57:24 

S-CLASS Start Time: 12:00 Distance: 8 nm 

0.75 592 GAYLE FORCE MEL 93 13:52:33 13:40:09 

2.00 82 MCSWOOSH 11M 66 14:00:12 13:51:24 

12 PAX -10 13:55:57 13:57:17 

3.00 79089 LIGHTLY SALTED BENE 10R 96 14:12:09 13:59:21 

4.00 131 DRAGONFLY VIPER 640 96 14:12:19 13:59:31 

A-CLASS Start Time: 12:05 Distance: 8 nm 

0.75 28415 EDGEWALKER OLSN 34 117 14:13:50 13:58:14 

B-CLASS Start Time: 12:05 Distance: 8 nm 

0.75 29718 MARANATHA RANC 33-1 174 14:37:16 14:14:04 

2.00 69141 JODY V C&C 29 188 14:52:19 14:27:15 

3.00 122 SPITZE SANT 22 285 15:54:54 15:16:54 

D-CLASS Start Time: 12:05 Distance: 8 nm 

0.75 39110 KOOSAH PEAR 36-1 171 14:46:06 14:23:18 

2.00 00 VINTAGE RANC 33 197 15:16:15 14:49:59 

3.00 37079 OSA RANC 33 182 15:17:11 14:52:55 

4.00 39458 RELEAF PEAR 30 247 15:47:43 15:14:47 

5.00 69220 OH MERCY CAPR 22 245 15:47:45 15:15:05 

opened the engine compartment and saw 

my alternator belts were very loose and 

endanger of coming off. Hmm, that’s not 

good I thought to myself. It took me about 

45 minutes to fix the problem. 

The further north I went the better the 

weather was. By the time I passed Herron 

Island the sun was out and felt warm on my 

face. I was catching up with another boat 

from the club, but she made her turn into 

Vaughn Bay before I did. 

The other boat that came in before me 

was Maranatha. Gratitude was the first at 

anchor and had picked a prime spot to drop 

her hook. Anchors set and boat rigged for 

port I set out to pick up my wife. As I 

rowed to the boat ramp at the east side of 

the bay, Vintage and Balder came in and 

rafted up. I rowed Annette and our puppy 

back to the boat and we settled in for a 

quiet evening. Well at least that’s what we 

thought. I was up topside putting up the 

boom tent when Vintage hails us on the 

radio. We were invited over for cocktails 

and apps. We accepted the invitation and 

ended up sitting on Vintage and Balder 

enjoying great company with our 

Commodore until late in the evening. All 

crews in the bay joined the festivities and 

we all enjoyed the evening together. 

Saturday: I was told by those who woke 

up early that we were fogged in. But I took 

advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. 

My head did not appear topside until 

well after 1030. Wow I felt good! 

The sun was shining bright, not a 

cloud in the sky and it was warm. 

Shorts and tee shirts weather today. 

Around noon several of us went up to 

the spit and set up the potluck area. 

Logs were rolled, fire wood gathered, 

weeds pulled. Thanks to all who 

helped. 

The fleet started to arrive around 

noon and by 1500 our numbers stood 

at 19 boats. By 1800 the potluck on 

the spit was crowded. There was tons 

of good food to be had. If we walked 

away hungry it was our own fault. 

The fire ring was full of happy faces. 

Folks stayed late into the evening. 

The stars shone up in the havens, the 

moon was bright and Jupiter could be 

seen. It was a wonderful evening. 

Sunday: Well be paid for the good 

weather with rain and lots of it. The 

pancake breakfast was moved from 

the beach to the Sidetrack, Vintage, 

Balder raft. A couple of boats left 

early, including yours truly. I missed 

the pancake goodness again. I’m sure 

it was great. I was heading south by 0900. 

The rain turned to showers and eventually 

stopped. The skies were gray the entire way 

home. It was a great weekend and seemed 

too short. Thanks to all of you who made it. 

It’s you who make these trips fun. It was a 

great group of folks. I can’t wait for the 

Halloween Cruise. See you on the water. 

Boats and crew in attendance in no 

particular order: Cygnet, Getaway, Gamine, 

Sir Pending, Pandora, Gratitude, 

Maranatha, Murrelet, Pleiades, Lovejoy, 

Sidetrack, Passages, Vintage, Balder, 

Moment, Inati, Skaga, Windswept, Pax and 

Nightwind. Stats: 20 boats, 40 skipper and 

crew and two dogs. Not bad! 

Mark Welpman, Cygnet 

A slightly longer version and photos on line

Welcome New Members - SSSS Clubhouse

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