A Yacht Club Without Yachts-the first tens years of the WYC (by Ken Howe).

The sailing club at the University of Washington was formed by experienced local sailors who wanted to represent the University of Washington in intercollegiate competitions. 

Photo provided by Dwight Shaw

Dwight Shaw, WYC Rear Commodore in 1958, is shown on Ron McFarlane’s Star. Ron McFarlane along with Bill Buchan Jr. and Bill Buchan Sr. won the Mallory Cup, America’s small boat championship, in1955. Their win is described in this Sports Illustrated article.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1130226/index.htm    

Ron McFarlane described his interest in racing to me in an e-mail.

“Mike Butler and I were classmates at West Seattle High School and later both of us joined Seattle Yacht Club. While still in high school, either in 1952 or possibly 1951, a third classmate asked if I might be interested in sailing Penguin class dinghies at SYC. I jumped on that chance and sailed my first race. The yacht club had obtained six Penguins for their junior program. The races were held in Portage Bay through the winter and on occasion during the summer. I soon discovered that yacht racing was something I wanted to do on a serious basis.” Ron McFarlane

The idea of the sailing club began in the spring of 1948 in meetings between UW Daily sports editor, John Faulkner, and Walt Hardman, an experienced sailor.   In a report to the ASUW office the club’s purpose was described as to promote sailing at the UW and to sponsor an intercollegiate sailing team. When activities began in the fall of 1948 the club consisted of 40 members with 25 of them boat owners.

John Faulkner

Walt Hardman

1949 Tyee Yearbook

Steve Chadwick Jr. (upper right corner) is honored at the Corinthian Yacht Club for winning the International championship in the I-110 class in 1954. Bill Buchan Jr. was the National Collegiate Dinghy Champion the same year.

In the first year of the club, experienced sailors shared their knowledge of sailing with beginners who wanted to learn.  The UW crew team was moving out of the Canoe House and the club lobbied to save it from destruction by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Canoe House became the club’s home until the WAC was built. A family, the Clarks, lived in the Canoe House at the same time and rented out canoes as a private business. There was room enough in the canoe house to store the boats and a ramp down to the water made it possible to launch and retrieve them with a winch.

Perry Barth (photo by Ken Howe 2013)

Perry Barth pictured in the top row of the 1949 yearbook HSC page remembered the first year of the club.

In a February 21,2013 interview, I asked Perry why he wanted to join the club and he said that he had grown up around the water and enjoyed water activities.  He joined the club when it formed and attended the early meetings.  He sailed as crew and remembered the strong spring winds.  He did not have time in his senior year (1950) to qualify for the skipper rating.  When he returned for a masters degree a few years later he joined again and continued lessons.  He remembered sailing in the Husky.   Walt Hardman impressed him as being a really good sailor.

The club organized races and formed traveling teams in the first year.  There was excitement in the membership about the sailing team’s potential to make the UW as famous for sailing as it is for crew racing.

March 31, 1949 UW Daily

A Geary 18 "Flattie" probably belonging to one of the club members

April 14, 1949 UW Daily

In a May 20,1949 UW Daily article the NW Intercollegiate Regatta was described:

The photo caption stated that Jon Rose and Don THompson were awarded the trophy in the Geary 18 "Flattie" competition.  They sailed their boat, "Lucky," as individuals.  Jon Rose sailed for the UW in May 22 intercollegiate regatta.  The new Husky Sailing Club defeated teams from the U. of British Columbia, Seattle University, and Everett J.C.

July 7, 1949 UW Daily

In the spring of 1949 the club’s membership drive demonstrated enough interest in sailing that the ASUW loaned the club money to purchase a teaching and racing fleet.

Oct. 24, 1950 UW Daily

Oct. 24, 1950 UW Daily

A campus wide contest was held to name the new Husky boats. The prize was a year’s membership in the club.  The winning idea was to name them after the past school mascots.  UW 2 was named Frosty after the first Malamute.

1951 Tyee

1924 Tyee

March 1, 1951 UW Daily

The name didn’t stick because by 1958 the Frosty boat was just called Husky 2, Dwight Shaw explained when I asked if he remembered the names.

   

The goal of racing the Huskies was met in the spring of 1951 when the design was recognized for competition.

Feb 27, 1953 UW Daily

March 29, 1951 UW Daily

July 3, 1951 UW Daily

It pays to advertise

May 1, 1951 UW Daily

In February of 1955 a request for a loan to buy six more boats for the UWYC was made to the ASUW finances office.  The rational for the boats was made in this statement accompanying the request.

Penguins being towed back from the lake in 1958 Tyee

 Like the Husky sloops, the club held a contest to name the new boats when they arrived in the spring of 1955.

April 7, 1955 UW Daily

June 27, 1957 UW Daily

April 22, 1955 UW Daily

In an e-mail to me, Ron McFarlane remembered the story of the Penguins.

“In February of 1953 I graduated from high school and immediately enrolled at the UW in spring quarter. I soon discovered the UWYC and became involved. There was no active racing program as best I recall but several of us were interested in racing. Somehow in December of 1953 we received an invitation to an intercollegiate racing event at Newport Harbor Yacht Club (California). To the best of my knowledge this was the first time a UW sailing team raced in competition.Of course with limited racing experience we did not do all that well. We did return in 1954 with similar results. As a result discussion began about improving our racing skills. There were four or five of us pushing the need for racing dinghies and I became deeply involved in that activity. Since Penguins were racing just next door in Portage Bay this was an opportunity to compete with a larger fleet.” Ron McFarlane

 “The Penguin fleet was built by Lake Washington Yacht Basin (YABA). We decided to have them coated with fiberglass so they would better survive in the yacht club environment. Of course, we knew they would be heavier than the SYC and other private boats. But we had to have boats for all UWYC members.” Ron McFarlane

April 16, 1958 UW Daily

Frances Church sailing in Frosh Pond for the 1957 membership drive. UW Daily April 4, 1957

February 9, 1955 UW Daily

Frances Church described the sailing club of the 1950s best during a membership drive.

GPS Options by Marc Bastin

Club Member Marc Bastin writes about the Garmin GPS units at this year's boat show (Magellan was not represented - so no info there)...

The cheapest option is the eTrex 20 plus an electronic chart for all of the USA and British Columbia.  (An eTrex 30 would add barometer and compass, which are not necessary for sailing but might be nice for hiking.)  It should last up to 25 hours on 2 AA batteries according to the brochure.  The rep at the booth said 20.  It has a mini-joystick interface and a display of only 2.2" diagonal with 128 x 160 pixels and 65k colors.  It is IPX7 submersible (one meter deep for 30 minutes).

The better option is a GPSMAP 78 plus the chart.  (The 78s adds a barometer and 3-axis compass, and the 78sc also preloads a "coastal US chart" but I'm not sure if that also covers Alaska, Hawaii, and British Columbia as the add-on chart would.)  The 78 is specifically targeted to the marine market and is WAAS enabled for better accuracy.  WAAS is a system of land based transmitters that complement the GPS signals from space.  The brochure says two AA batteries should last "up to 20 hours."  It has a pushbutton interface and a much better display of 2.6" diagonal with 160 x 240 pixels and 65k colors.  It's not only IPX7 submersible but also floats!

The eTrex range wasn't available at the show and I didn't have the time to play with the GPSMAP 78, but according to the rep, both are very, very similar: they have an audible anchor drag alarm but it isn't super loud, tide and current data (once you load the micro SD marine chart), COG vector, and MOB even though this might be somewhat buried in the menus and not as readily accessible as you might wish.  The rep said the displays are sunlight readable but I have some doubts about the quality.  Obviously I couldn't take it outdoors to test it.  None of the units can charge their two AA batteries, but if you get the car kit and run them from the boat's battery they will preserve the charge of their internal AA batteries.

Ultimately, the main difference is the number of pixels and WAAS, which make the GPSMAP 78 the clear winner since I found it online for only $30 more than the eTrex 20.  

Here are the prices at http://starmarinedepot.com.  You may have better luck elsewhere, I didn't push very hard to find the best deals.  There are no boat show specials.

   eTrex 20: $180

   GPSMAP 78: $208

   HXUS039R g2 "Entire US" (micro SD chart): $124 (You'd have to add this to either GPS unit.)

The eTrex 30, and GPSMAP 78s and 78sc are far more pricy.

Regarding smartphones and tablets, there's one more app that I didn't point out last time.  It is called iNavX and runs on iOS and Android.  The app plus charts for the US and Canada would set you back about $70, which is why I didn't mention it.  It's the app with apparently the most features, but Navionics is allegedly far more user friendly and is only $15.  I haven't had any hands-on time with either.  The rep at the Navionics booth told me they were working on weather integration so I presume in a future update it will be able to overlay GRIB weather forecasts as well.  (Navionics typically charges full price for upgrades of their app and doesn't do discounts.  If you buy it now you'll probably have to buy it again later without discount if you want the new functionality.  You would also update your charts in the process and the price is amazingly low so it's not too bad a deal.)

Please keep in mind that your smartphone will receive a trashing in the marine environment, and if you have to replace it every 3 months it's a false economy compared to buying a dedicated waterproof device.  I had an iPod Touch on my 43 day trip to British Columbia last spring and the connector corroded in that little time.  Corrosion isn't covered by Apple's warranty but after showing how displeased I was with that they still replaced the unit.  Next time I'll keep it in a ziplock bag at all times, perhaps with a dehumidifier baggy.  My portable Raymarine RC400 chart plotter on the other hand has been going strong since 2005 with 5 years at sea and 20,000 nautical miles under its belt, in full (tropical) sunlight, rain, and spray.  In other words it has already worked outdoors for over 4,000 hours.  It has a slowly increasing number of dead pixels but is otherwise still fully functional.

Member Resource

From club member (and Purser) Josh Solomon:

http://www.youtube.com/user/seasensical

This youtube channel has a crap ton of short informative sailing videos.  Only watched a few of them so far but some pretty good tips and tricks in there it seems.

Sinking of the "Bounty"

from Club Member Andrew Pardoe...

Testimony from hearings on the sinking of the Bounty:

gCaptain is running excellent coverage of the investigation into why this tall ship did not survive Superstorm Sandy.  Well-written and worth a read!

Day One:  Chief Mate Testifies

Day Two:  Rotted Frames on Bounty

Day Three:  Testimony Highlights the Complexity

Day Four:  The Illusion of Experience

Nav Lights 101

Club member Jonathan Sparks writes: 
I found a website that will test your knowledge of navigation lights. Check it out.
http://www.usboating.com/testlights.asp

WYC Changes the Rules - A History by Ken Howe PART ONE

WYC Changes The Rules (Part One)

by Ken Howe  

The first rating system for club members was established in the By-Laws filed with the ASUW in 1949.  The original members were classified either crew or skipper.  The experienced members used their own boats and some dinghies from the local yacht clubs, SYC and CYC to do instruction.   

1952 Tyee yearbook photo

The By-Laws stated: 

1. “To be a “Crew” one must be paid up in his Club dues and have passed the   

       swimming test.  

       A “Crew” is entitled to sail or race in the company of a “Skipper” or “Chief.”

1. To be a “Skipper” one must have qualified as a “Crew” and demonstrate competence in handling and docking the Husky or other Club sailboats and further in meeting the common emergencies of small boat sailing.

      A “Skipper” is entitled to check out a sailboat in his own right.

1955 Tyee

From the first year of active sailing, 1949, the club was involved in intercollegiate races. The Husky boat was designed and built for the club in 1950.

Norm Ahlquist explained the plan for the design of the Husky.  Having sailed them in the 1960s he knew about how they performed.

“As I recall the legend, the club wanted something that would be "self-rescuing and plane." The Huskies were that, provided the hatch covers stayed on and the wind blew over 40. When completely swamped they would float deck awash. If you stood on it you would sink to about your armpits.”

The 1949 By-Laws recognized experienced members of the club as chiefs.  

1. To be a “Chief” one must have qualified as a “Crew” and “Skipper” and demonstrate    

      knowledge or competence as the case may be in the following fields:

1. handling an outboard and launch.
2. the racing rules and running races.
3. safety and the rules of the road.
4. knot tying, splicing, serving and other arts important to boat husbandry.
5. first aid.

       Further he must have a record of service to the club and be agreeable to further

       service, especially as a dispatcher.

      A “Chief” is entitled to use the club launch, qualify “Skippers,” dispatch boats and    

      enjoy such other privileges as the Executive Council shall set forth in accordance 

      with fair, full, and safe use of club facilities.

In 1957 amendments were added to the By-Laws to include the new Penguins. 

1958 Tyee

The swimming test was dropped in the 1957 amendments and this statement added “All members of the club should have sufficient swimming ability to be able to take care of themselves in an emergency.  Because of a lack of testing facilities, members must vouch for their own ability and sail at their own risk if this ability is insufficient.” 

Note: There is no mention of wearing a PFD if swimming ability is “insufficient.”

A boat rating was created for the Penguin and over the years as other boats were added ratings were created for them.  The Kite (a SH boat), the C-Lark (DH boat) and the Lightning (largest boat in the fleet) were some of the early boats requiring a rating.  

To be a Penguin Skipper, one must have qualified as a crew and a skipper, and demonstrate skill and good judgment in handling the Penguin dinghies.  Penguin Skippers and chiefs desiring to race will be given first priority in use of the Penguins.

1962 Tyee

Kite in 1963 Tyee

In 1969 a proposal was made to add a Novice rating to the By-Laws by Norm Ahlquist.

“When I joined in 1966 we had the same ratings but no swim test, just your statement. The winds seemed to be reliably 25+ in the winters and skipper tests meant something. The in thing was heavy (extreme) weather sailing. Winter quarters had maybe 25 members. In the mid 70s the club had bloated to over 1K (check with Ralph J) and the weather seemed to be more subdued. Certain chiefs were giving skipper ratings in very little wind because of demand. I then invented the novice rating (based on the amateur radio licensing scheme) which limited wind and sailing area for the newbies, and it would expire in 6 months as I remember. That helped a lot.”

The language of the rating was:  
“To get a Novice rating you must demonstrate that you know how to launch the boat, sail it around, and bring it back to the dock in one piece.  The Novice rating does have certain restrictions on where and when you may sail.  Novices may sail only in Union Bay (so we can find you easily if you’re ever in trouble), and may sail under 15 knots in Kites, Penguins, and C-Larks and under 20 knots in Huskies and Lightnings.  Even old skippers find 15 knots a bit strong sometimes, so we hope that all new Novices will practice a bit in lesser wind speeds before venturing out into the white caps (white caps tend to start at about 15 knots).  Since the Skipper rating has no restrictions on sailing area or wind, this rating will be given only in winds of 10-15 knots or more.  The exact details of these ratings can be found in the new By-Laws.“ 

Sailing a Husky in higher winds.

1968 Tyee

Day-Cruising Skipper 1970 Handbook

A Day-Cruising Skipper may sail a Lightning on Puget Sound during daylight hours unless the adverse weather condition sign has been posted.  To obtain this rating, one must have been a Lightning Skipper for at least one quarter, must either have skippered a sailboat on a Snooz’n Crooz or other club cruise or have crewed on four sound cruises with a Day-Cruising Skipper, have accompanied a club boat through the locks in both directions, and demonstrated knowledge of the club’s auxiliary power unit and other cruising equipment.  The Rear Commodore certifies that the applicant has met the above requirements, and the Executive Council approves the rating. 

When the club did not have keelboats the Lightning was the largest boat in the fleet.

1970 Handbook photo

Ralph Jackson explained how the club offered a snooze and cruise without keelboats.

“ On early Blake Island cruises we drove the baggage to Vashon ferry terminal and did several barge trips from Vashon to Blake.   At times we used Mike Hart's family boat and my family's boat (Jay Kay - the power boat in the written test right of way diagram) as baggage carriers.”

He also explained that the Kite had just enough room for him to join the student and give instruction from the boat.  He said as the instructor he would follow the class out on the bay with the Whaler and then he would signal a student over to him.  He anchored the Whaler and then joined the student in the Kite.

Kite in 1967 Tyee



By 1977 a side capsize requirement was added to the intermediate and skipper rating.

In the 1980 By-Laws a capsize was added to the skills need to obtain a Novice Rating.
1. A Novice (Single-ahnded or Double-handed) is entitled to sail in wind nto over 10 knots in Union Bay within sight of hte WAC.
a. A Double-handed Novice may sail a C-Lark.
2. Novice ratings are only valid for six months.  it is recommended that members obtain an intermediate or higher rating within this time, as the purpose of the Novice rating is to allow the member to practice whenever he wishes, so that he may learn to sail well.  The Novice Rating may be renewed by taking the Novice Practical Test.
3. To obtain a Novice Rating Double-handed, one must:
a. Have a rating of Crew.
b. Read the By-Laws
c. Pass the Novice Written Examination
d. Be able to tie the following knots: Bowline, Cleating, and Figure Eight.
e. Know the check-out procedures.
f. Rig and de-rig the boat, and demonstrate basic sailing ability, docking, and perform a dry capsize (wet capsize if unavoidable), in at least 3 knots of wind).
g. Display consideration for the safety of lives and for the protection of club equipmetn.
h. The Double-handed Novice Practical Test must be taken in a C-Lark.

Norm and Ralph said the option of doing a dry capsize would encourage the students to try it.  Ralph remembered that about 50 percent of the students ended up doing a wet capsize.

1987 Tyee

What hasn't changed is the thrill!

TO BE CONTINUED...  Part Two: Club Events (photo from sailing in the Fountain!). Photo from The Daily on April 3, 1970.

Apps

Mark Bastin writes:

Here's a free navigation app for Android that was just pointed out to me.  People seem to love it but I don't own an Android device to try it.

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.kemiro.marinenavigator&hl=en>