Catalina Island Armada (formerly: Summer Sailstist)

[CaptDave]

I don't have my Mac yet but I'm getting closer. I would like to offer you all any advise on the island. I've anchored everywhere possible on that island and have been there at least a thousand times, no exaggeration. As a matter of fact I'm sailing up there in two weeks on a vessel from the Marina Sailing Club. Since I sold my last boat, bareboat chartering is how I keep the salt in my veins. I typically anchor at uncrowed locations and when I need to go to town I sometimes pick up a mooring. I have a small write up on the island on my web site, http://thewaltonranch.com/2.html There's a picture of me on my retractable keel MacGregor back in the 70's. Even if I don't have a Mac now your get together sounds great!

[mikelinmon]

Armada has progressed far beyond MacGregors only. One of the prponents is Franj Butler, owner of Catalina, Steve Curran, H%S manager, VP of West Marine, many more, VP of Sail America, Etc. We are hoping for Woodstock.
New date of Sept 19 and 20.

[mikelinmon]

Date is now Sept 19 and 20. Could we change the thread name from Sailstice to Catalina Island Armada. Maybe no way, mabe not a good idea, just thinking. Anyway, that is the organizers doing, a done deal. We will have docks at the in the water Long Beach Boat Show during the week (Sept 15 to 19) after the show for boats to gather for the Armada.
Mike Inmon

!	kmclemore:
	Done, and this posting merged with the thread.

[Finn]

Hello All,

The Admiral and I are still planning to sail to Twin Harbors (Isthmus is preferred, Cat Harbor if space on the string line is not available) perhaps as early as Thursday, June 18th. We already have a full crew for that trip. Only the departure date is still in question pending work schedules.

I would like to know if any of you are planning to go this weekend as well. Perhaps we could plan something similar to our trip last year. I would be glad to help.

However, that does not mean that we would not want to join you all again in September for a second trip.

Finn

[Captain Steve]

Mike, I'm in for sept!. Coming from Channel Islands Harbor. My boat is stored at Channel Islands Landing, owned by Frank Butler! Hope to tow down and get a new outboard early summer.

[delevi]

This sounds AWESOME! Might see if the Admiral and I can take some time off and trail Rusalka down to LA. Pencil me in as a definite maybe

Leon

[mikelinmon]

Fellow Armada organizers.

The following is a brief outline for the proposed event. If you have any suggestions, criticisms, comments, please let me know.

Roger MacGregor

Date; Sept 19th and 20th

For early arrivals, raft up at oil island Grissom in LB harbor Friday night
The 18th, Saturday morning, 8 am powering start.
Sailboat racing starts mid channel about 11 am, when the wind is sufficient, at the discretion of the race committee.
Giant Catalina Harbor raft up, starting at 4 pm
Raft up close down: 12 Noon Sept 19
Monster group sail home Sunday afternoon
Encourage group to sail down the full length of the backside of Catalina on the way home.
Stragglers can stay at Catalina Harbor for days after the event.

HOW IT WORKS

At 8 am, the fleet will gather 1 mile directly south of Pt Fermin., at the West End of Long beach Harbor. A cannon will be fired, and the fleet will start toward the West End of Catalina at exactly 5 mph. There will be two large yachts at the ends of a ½ mile long moving starting line.

All boats will stay behind this line. The line and fleet will move, under power or sail, toward
Catalina. This alone will be quite a show.

Winds in the morning are generally light: not the best for racing. At a rather random time (around 10 am) when the winds start to pick up, a cannon will be fired. This will be the start of the race. Then off we go under sail, racing, toward Catalina Harbor on the back side of the island. The race will finish at a line near the entrance to Catalina Harbor, and finish times will be recorded.

It is 21 miles from Point Fermin to Catalina, more to West End. By mid morning, when the start gun goes off, the fleet is expected to be about 2/3 of the way across to Catalina. The sailing portion of the event will be relatively short, (about 15 miles) and the fleet should be at Catalina Harbor in the late afternoon, in plenty of time to anchor, raft up and party.

The purpose of the event is simple: To have a world class gigantic floating party.

There will be a few prizes:
The first boat to finish
The last boat to finish
The boat whose time most closely matches the average time for the fleet This will be the “Utterly Average trophy”

If you have a slow boat, you can power after the starting gun goes off so you can get there in time for the party. If you run your engine, you will not be eligible for the first to finish trophy, but you will still qualify for the last to finish trophy. (If you run the engine and still finish last, you may wish to think about a faster boat.) You will also still be eligible for the utterly average trophy.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR MAILING LISTS
SCMA
West marine
All marinas
All yachts clubs
Yacht dealers for all the major sailboat lines, including Catalina, Shock, MacGregor, Hunter, and Beneteau
Sailing schools
Square rigger charter fleets
All other charter fleets
Duncan McIntosh

TARGETS FOR PROMOTION:
Times, Log, PIlot, Register
Owner’s associations, MacGregor, Schock, Hunter, Beneteau, Catalina
Signs and posters at all marinas, yacht clubs and hardware stores
Email with photos of Catalina backside and Cat Harbor
We will use each groups email lists to reach as many as possible
Event coverage: all local press and maybe some television

NEED TO CONTACT AUTHORITIES: SCMA
Insurance
Cat harbor availability
Long beach Friday night anchorage off oil island Grissom
Availability of launch ramp
Coast guard

START LOCATION
1 mile directly south of Pt Fermin

WEB SITE:
Match boatless participants with boats

PRIZES: Big ones, donated
First to finish - for the best
Last to finish - for the worst
Average boat: the boat whose time most closely matches the average time of the fleet - for the utterly average.

NEED TO SOLICIT
Bands
Power boat escorts
Power boat stragglers
Photo and video boats and planes
Mt Gay
Tommy Bahama

ENTRY: None. No fee, no entry. Just show up. If you plan to go, give us a courtesy email to give us a rough idea how big this thing will be.

RULES: Few. You simply show up

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
All Coast Guard equipment, VHF radio, Channel 10
Seaworthy boat, not overloaded

FOOD, BOOZE, ICE, AND WATER TOYS: None provided, bring your own. Share. Bring fenders to protect your beloved boat

GENERAL INFO

Escort boats will be there to keep the herd under control.

For safety, you will have a lot of boats around you, both on the way over and on the way back.

We own our boats for the purpose of fun and frolic, and this is the time to use them at their best.

We expect a lot of press coverage, including TV

We intend to make this a major annual event.

Power boats are welcome to join in the fun.

We expect that this will be the largest gathering of sailing power since Lord Nelson sailed off the engage the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Trafalger.

For those of you that have trailerable boats, Long Beach has a really wide ramp for launching.

Yacht racing has been heaped with officialdom, complications, rules, formulas, and money. We will have none of that here. You just go.

This will give us an opportunity to introduce sailing, at its best, to your friends.

There are lots of beaches for on shore barbeques.

You can anchor off by yourself and watch the fun from a distance.

The will be lots of bull horns and loudspeakers to keep you informed as to what happens next.

There will be bands. We hope to have a few super yachts to house them.

Although it will be a bit less crazy, this will be the seagoing version the California desert gathering for the Burning Man Festival, which has been a huge success.

Our goal is to empty all Southern California marinas of sailboats.

If you have been timid about cruising around to the backside of Catalina, this is the time to go. There will be a lot of boats to keep an eye on you.

There is a small store, restaurant and bar at the Isthmus, within walking distance from the area of the raft up. I expect that it will be totally overwhelmed as a result of this party, so be sure to bring everything you need for food and fun.

The event is months from now, and you will have plenty of time to get your outboard running, your raft patched, and all set to go

Catalina Harbor is very sheltered from winds and waves during the summer months. It should be warm and calm enough for a very comfortable raft up.

The backside of Catalina is an exquisite place. The trip home will pass by Cat Harbor, Ben
Weston Beach and the Magnificent Palisades Cliffs.


There are a lot of sailboats in Southern California, and we have no idea how many will show up. There has never been anything like this in the area, and there could be hundreds, maybe thousands of boats. Bring your cameras and camcorders. It could be quite a sight.

.

[delevi]

I definitely want in on this. Count delevi/Rusalka in. Yo Beene! Wanna fly out for this? I need capable crew if we're gonna win this thing.... I'll even let you play skipper if you want Mike, if Geoff shows, you can pencil us in for first place

Leon

[Hardcrab]

Count us in!
Will the model be for the first M to cross?
Bill and Sue
Cease-fire

[mikelinmon]

The prize goes to the Mac with the most newbies on it, might be an old Mac, any tie will be broken by the race, many other prizes await the race winners, perhaps the utterly average winner.
Mike Inmon

[irayone]

I close escrow on a new 2005 26 M this weekend.... I am in for the armada.....

[delevi]

Mike,

What does one have to do to sign up for this? Just show up, or is anything more. Thanks.
Leon

[David Mellon]

Hey Delvi, just show up! You must bring all required safety equipement the coast guard requires and enough booze to keep me drunk for the entire trip!

[David Mellon]

So, what's the story? I need to secure time off for this if it is happening. I also need to line up some crew!

[irayone]

So is it a go???? I am packed and ready...Someone please confirm all the info.....Thanks