06/25 - Port Townsend Safety Boats

Hey Dave! I hope all is well with you. Thanks for clarifying the date involved.

I spoke to Harvey briefly over the phone and told him I would respond to the C-Brats site. I will also send you an e-mail at 4nhand@gmail.com.

Not exactly sure if or how I will participate (w/ our boat, or possibly volunteering as crew perhaps w/ Harvey), but I will likely get involved somehow or the other.

Take care,
Dan
 
Well, We Did It:

Dave on PlanC and Harvey on SleepyC represented the whole C-Dory kingdom, (I might add --> in a very fine way), at the 2011 Port Townsend Rat Island Rowing Races.

There were 45 rowers in about 40 something classes. Seemed everybody got blue ribbons. Good for them for entering, starting and everyone finished. One in 55 minutes and the last sone in just under 2 hours. About 7 miles, and reasonable weather. Some more experienced than others. The crew from the Rowing Across the Atlantic Race was there with their C-Dory length, half our width, row boat with thousands of miles under their keel, to some who this was their first time. One skin on frame home built kayak that weighed 18#, paddled with a Greenland style "paddle".

There were some other boats there for the "Safety Boat crew" and the race went well. One boat was lost, for a while, but we found it, right side up and still rowing, just not recognized at the turn and check point, so wasn't current on the list. It was a beautiful day weather wise, and organizationally.

And another plus. After the race activities I meandered (Thanks Ron) over towards Mystery Bay State Park and around Fort Flagler there was a man standing on the beach, waving franticly. The water is a bit skinny so I approached pretty gingerly, turned on the hailer/listen back and asked him what was going on. He was waving and pointing, asking if I could retrieve hes boat. Looking over my shoulder, there is a 40ft trawler a hundred feet off the shore. "That one?" I asked, pointing to the trawler. "No, NO, over there," he replies pointing at a something, smaller. Turns out it, it is a 3 ft model of the Kontiki, that escaped from him on the beach. Managed the save, singlehanded, without running over his boat, and without finding the bottom. Good for both of our days.

Thanks, Dave, for the opportunity to provide a bit of community service, a really good excuse to get out onto the water, and the chance to make some new friends.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Thanks, Harvey, for being there. It was a good time.

The missing boat was in fact the Atlantic Rowers, who didn't have a number showing. Background for anyone who doesn't know: the four Seattle guys rowed the boat across the Atlantic in a race with three other boats, on English, one French, one something, and them. On paper they did not look like the best bet, though all were experienced university rowing veterans. But they won. Somehow it failed to make national news, but it should have. It was an honor to have them at the Rat Race this weekend, on the 18th anniversary of the event.

Dave
 
Back
Top