Commodore’s Message It is hard to believe that we are here again. It seems like only yesterday the boat covers were going on and now they are off, the boats are finding their way back to the water and, if it ever stops raining, out for a sail. Let’s hope that May and June have gotten all the rain out and July along with August will be sunny and fog free. As July approaches it is time to head East to Maine and South to New London for Sloop get togethers and sailing. It looks like this year will find some new owners sailing some old friends. We have already gotten notice of some members coming without boats from far off places to Rockland. So it should be a good time for all. The main event of this year is Rockland. We hope that many of you can get there and join in the fun. This is not about racing, but fellowship. We don’t want people to feel that they have to race. Ruy Gutierreze is putting together a program for those that do not race and if you are interested you can contact him at 207-782-8199. If you can’t get to Rockland try to get to one of the other events. All the other events need our support. When you are in Rockland say thank you to the dockmaster and his crew – they take good care of us while we are there. Also say thank you to the Share the Pride people. Without them we would have a patch of grass and nothing else. On Sunday there is only the green in the parking lot and by Monday night the tent, tables, chairs and grills are all in place for us. The town of Rockland opens its doors to us and the sloops always look so good tied to the dock. On a sad note there will be one person who will not be with us this year in Rockland. I can’t talk about the Homecoming with out mention- ing Bernie MacKenzie. It is his vision that we are still sailing today. The year of 1961 has long since passed and his idea of a Friendship Sloop get together is still going on. He will not be there in person this year but his spirit will. He will not be forgot- ten. So it is time to shake the water out of the sails, hoist them up to dry and point the bows in the direction of Rockland. See you there. Race Committee News Rockland 2002 By David W. Graham It only seems a few moments ago when we wrapped everything up at the conclusion of the 2001 regatta at Rockland. Meanwhile, the ensuing months have been full of planning sessions, while Executive Committee and Race Committee meetings have been the order of the day. As a result we firmly believe we have organized a rewarding 2002 Rockland program of racing for you. Without getting into details (come to the skippers’ meetings), we are beginning to employ some innovative ideas that will only add to the program – – – and we may not stop doing so with the 2002 regatta! You are urged to complete the regatta entry form that was recently received in the mail, at the earliest possible moment and get it back to the Society Secretary in a timely manner. Doing so will only help everyone involved with the Rockland 2002 races and associated activities. Thank you for doing so – – – See you at Rockland on July 23-26. Handicap Rating Notice The Race Committee will be happy to equitably handicap any member sloop for which a completed handicap application is received prior to the 30th of June each year. New handicap rating applications are available from the Race Committee or the handicapper. All sloops with a handicap rating dated prior to 1998 will be considered to have no handicap rating this year (2002) due to the expiration of handicap data. Sloop owners must file an updated handicap application for their vessel every five years, whether or not changes may have been made to the hull or rig. However, when such changes have been made it is necessary to immediately re-apply for an updated handicap. New owners of sloops are required to submit an application for a handicap rating before entering their first regatta. Beginning in 2000, participating skippers / owners declining to file an updated handicap application in a timely manner will receive a dockside handicap, which will include a severe penalty! (Continued to Page 2) Volume 14 Summer 2002 Issue 2 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society

Handicap Rating Notice (Continued from Front Page) Please do not place the unnecessary duty on your race committee! SLOOPS WITH UP-TO-DATE HANDICAP DATA If your sloop is not listed here please re-new your handicap application NOW. Sail No. HC Date Sail No. HC Date Sail No. HC Date 5 2001 90 2000 187 1999 7 2000 91 2000 189 2000 18 1999 96 1998 193 1999 24 2001 97 1998 196 1998 44 2000 100 2000 197 2001 45 1999 123 2000 208 2001 53 2001 152 1998 227 2000 54 2001 157 1998 240 1998 66 1998 167 2000 250 2000 67 1999 169 2000 258 1999 71 1999 180 2001 264 1998 Come to Marblehead this August The 39th annual racing program for the Friendship Sloop Society will again be held at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead. Please note the dates – – – August 10th and 11th. A mailing will be forthcoming in a few weeks that will announce details. However, plans have been underway for the Saturday evening speaker, who will be CYC Race Committee member, Ted Agne. Ted is a strong advocate of international racing and will be showing us some very interesting footage of rounding Cape Horn and into the often-dreaded Southern Ocean. Please save the dates. Ralph Stanley Reconized While we all know and appreciate Ralph Stanley, not everyone does. A step in the right direction was recently taken when Ralph was given accolades by Maine Governor Angus S. King, Jr. During graduation ceremonies at Washington County Technical College in Eastport, King issued a proclamation in which he announced Ralph Stanley to be the Boat-Builder-Laureate of the Maine Coast. The frosting on the cake came when college president William Flahive presented Ralph with an Honorary Degree in Boat- Building Technology! First, it was Hillary – – – now an honorary degree! Will Ralph ever be the same? We firmly believe he will and we also think you will agree. Southwest Harbor Race By Miff Lauriat The Bald-headed Easterners will face off for the first time in 2002 on 20 July at the 10th annual Southwest Harbor tuning event. A splendid time is guaranteed for all! Downeast where the wind likes to pick up around 1330 hours, we start the race at around 1330 hours. And as the wind continues to build, we sail for the glory of the cannon’s report that says “you are first!” Participants are urged to please contact race H.Q. either by phone 207-244-4313 or e-mail jvestal@acadia.net or snail mail: 47 East Ridge Road, Southwest Harbor, Maine, 04679. A skipper’s meeting will be held about noon, day of the race, time and place T.B.A. to all who RSVP. Early arrivals might choose to take in the Quietside Festival Parade Saturday morning through downtown Southwest Harbor. Also on Saturday the Hospice Regatta will be in full swing, putting a premium on close quarters maneuvering and boat-handling. For Sloopers unfamiliar with the Western Way entrance to the Great Harbor of Mount Desert, please check the NOTICE TO MARINERS for changes in the buoyage. Flynn’s Ledge Buoy #5 is now at 44-14-27.276N 068-16-59.856W; Spurling Point #8 nun is now a lighted gong, Fl 4s Red, 4M at 44-15-46.596N 068-16-47.970W. The Western Way lighted bell buoy WW and the Spurling Point lighted gong buoy SP (the two old red & white “fairway” buoys) are deleted. Valid handicap certificates are NOT necessary. There are NO handicaps. There is NO entry fee. There are NO trophies. There will be a gathering at Marge and Miff’s afterwards to swap excuses and refreshments will be served… (transportation from the harbor available) A fleet cruise to Rockland is being planned for Sunday. It could be a distance race… Come on down and have a go! Racing Numbers The Race Committee is asking skippers to use sloop numbers for racing. Numbers do not have to be permanently attached to sails, they can be attached to shrouds. Numbers should be large enough to be read from a reasonable distance. Dues Reminder If you haven’t mailed your annual dues in for 2002, please send them to: Caroline Phillips, Society Secretary 164 Sturbridge Road Charlton, MA 01507 – 2 –

The Cat Boat Race By Betsy Kline The first Friendship Sloop Day in 1961 included an in-harbor race for Friendship Cat Boats, the 16-foot, gaff-rigged wooden boats built in the 1920’s. It was an event intended to entertain spectators while the big Friendship sloops were out of sight on the race course. When my husband Allen and I arrived in Friendship on the day of the race (after an exhausting red-eye flight from San Francisco with our three sleepless children, aged 1, 2, and 3) my father decreed that Allen and I should race our family cat boat, the Bobbett. So we started off – with little sleep, no watch, no sail battens, no tell-tale, and no expectations. We were the last of some 10 or 12 boats to cross the starting line. As skipper, I then settled back and figured on a relaxing cruise, just following everyone else around the course. But Allen, a true competitor, insisted that I concentrate and sail aggressively. So I woke up a bit and began to pay attention, and Allen contributed advice and encouragement. We made some lucky tacks, gradu- ally caught up and passed the rest of the fleet – and remarkably, the Bobbett was first to cross the finish line. Thus it was that we received a summons to the grand awards dinner that evening at Ray’s Hall. Of course, nobody was very interested in our little race, but there was a huge cat-boat trophy to be presented among the others. And Governor John Reed was there to make the big announcement: “The trophy for the cat-boat race goes to the Bobbett, crewed by Betsy and Alice Kline!” Alice??? I thought that the slip of the tongue was hilarious and wanted to so engrave the trophy, but “Alice” was not amused. So the biggest trophy of our sailing career was never engraved at all. Evidently the cat boat race did not add very much to the Friendship Sloop Day festivities – it was never scheduled again. Support Our Supporters Our yearbook is made possible not only through the efforts of our members, but also through the businesses that place ads in our book. When you read the articles in this year’s yearbook,take some time to notice the advertising. Then, when you stop in the store or restaurant, make a point of telling the waitress, manager, or anyone that will listen, that you saw their ad in the Friendship Sloop Society publication. Please help us keep the yearbook afloat by supporting our supporters. Rockland Schedule of Events Monday:Sloops Arriving – Barbecue (bring your own food) under the tent Possible Scavenger Hunt Tuesday 9:00 Skippers’ Meeting 11:30 Start of Race 1 4:30 Rowboat Races (Blindfold Race ) Everyone is invited 5:00 Barbecue Under the Tent Wednesday 9:00 Skippers’ Meeting 10:30 Parade of Sloops 12:00 Start of Race 2 4:00 Public Viewing and Tours of Sloops at Dockside 6:00 Spaghetti Supper Under the Tent 8:00 Music by Society Members Thursday: 9:00 Skippers’ Meeting 11:00 Start of Race 3 4:00 Awards Ceremony 6:00 Barbecue under the Tent Friday: Sloops Depart Rockland for Friendship Days Chandlery News The chandlery will be open for business as usual at the Rockland Homecoming. Remember, all proceeds from the sale of FSS articles go into the general fund to support the Society. The new 2002 t-shirt is on its way. The design is a burgee on the back, listing the various regattas, white t-shirt, plain white front. If you have any questions, please contact: Tom & Peg Miller 77 Bedford Road New Boston, NH 03070 603-487-3883 Do You Play a Musical Instrument? Last year at the Rockland Homecoming, a number of our members brought their musical instruments and performed under the tent on Wednesday night. It was such a good time, that we decided to ask our members again to bring their musical instru- ments. Don’t be shy, start practicing now, and come and have a good time! – 3 –

Rockland Tides Based on Eldridge Tide & Pilot Book 7:01 6:53 1:08 12:32 Friday 6:17 6:11 12:27 Thursday 5:32 & 11:48 5:26 11:42am – Wednesday 4:44 4:38 11:01 10:54 Tuesday 3:53 3:46 10:11 10:02 Monday 3:09 2:50 9:18 9:05 Sunday PM Low AM Low PM High AM High 2002 Schedule of Events New London Regatta July 13th & 14th Southwest Harbor Rendezvous July 20th Homecoming Rendezvous & Races at Rockland July 22nd – 25th Friendship Days July 26th & 27th Marblehead Regatta August 10th – 11th Gloucester Schooner Festival August 31st – September 1st Annual Meeting November 9th New England Center, Durham, NH Membership News Doug Amsbary has sent the following information regarding our membership: We would like to welcome the new owners of #159 Pacific Child, Catherine Randak & Kendal Brady who hail from Salt Lake City. They will be homeporting their new sloop in San Diego, CA. Together they have brought Pacific Child back to “mint condition”. Ken is a ship’s carpenter and is living aboard their sloop. We would also like to welcome back Lee and Barta Hathaway, owners of #101 Good Hope. We missed you! We received a membership application from Jack Beusmans from Mdeford, MA. He noted that he would like to crew during any of our races. Heard from Harvey & Francis Rockburn that they have sold their sloop #13 Easting to their daughter and her husband (Brenna & Van Keith Herridge) of Roclkand, ME. Easting will still be seen on her mooring in Rockland Harbor this summer. 16th Annual New London Windezvous Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th are the dates for the 16th annual Friendship Sloop Society Windezvous to be held on the Thames River in New London, Connecticut. The venue for 2002 for this event will be the Amistad Pier at the historic Customs House. It all started in downtown New London 16 years ago and the city has invited the Society to return to our roots in downtown New London and be a visible part of Sailfest. The weekend will feature entertainment and fireworks along the magnificent new waterfront. And for those skippers and crews who love ice cream, Michael’s ice cream shop is open again!!! Arrangements have been made for visiting Friendship sloops to raft up on the south side of the new Amistad pier right along the downtown waterfront Friday evening July 12th through Sunday, July 14th. The staging area for the Grucci fireworks extrava- ganza will be at the end of the pier on Saturday night. The north side of the pier will be for visiting larger craft. Skippers meetings and the end-of-race finale will take place in the nearby Customs House. The races will start at 1100 on Saturday and Sunday in the Thames River off New London and Fort Trumbull. The races on Saturday will be adjusted so we can end the days activities before 1700. Local Wooden and Classic Boats have been invited to race during our event on Saturday only. For further information and / or to register, please contact Jack Vibber at 860-442-7376 or Greg Roth at 1-800-845-3156. Cruising Class Plans Ruy Gutierreze, owner of Sorceress, is putting the final touches on the plans for the Cruising Class. Currently under consideration are day sails to close-by destinations (i.e. Fox Island Thoroughfare or High Island), raft up, have a picnic, and sail back later that afternoon- all of this weather-permiting. If the weather is foul, arrangements could be made for a trip by bus or cars to the Penobscot Marine Museum, the Farnsworth Museum , etc. It’s also possible that we could invite a well published author who could give a talk on his experiences as a sailor aboard a square-rigger. A lecture such as this would be not just for the cruising class but open to the public. Also under consideration is a seminar on man-overboard techniques, then go out on two or three sloops, throw a life-size mannequin overboard and practice what we just preached, while the other boats watch. Other sloops can then repeat the practice scenario. On a rough, windy day, we could do a practical on how to heave-to. None of this will happen unless there is membership participa- tion. Ruy is encouraging the membership to provide input for other possible activities and to comment on what is currently being planned. If you have an idea, or questions, you can contact Ruy at 207-782-8199. – 4 –

This column is a forum for sharing the vast range of practical experience accumulated by our membership and not just my favorite boat maintenance topics. It is intended to be the place where you, the reader, can ask technical questions and either obtain direct answers in this column or direction to appropriate reference material. Since you have not asked for specifics since the last newsletter, I’m suspicious that you may not know how to contact me. You can contact me via e-mail at wmcwhitney@earthlink.net, or better yet, see me at one of the FSS meetings. Just to refresh your memory the planned topics for this column were; electrical wiring, alternators and regulators, batteries, grounding and bonding, radios and antennas, and instrumenta- tion (navigation aids, depth, speed, GPS, LORAN, etc.). We have already covered wiring, alternators and regulators, batteries, bonding and grounding, radios and antennas; so let’s talk about instruments and instrumentation. This is a big topic, so it will probably be divided into two or more installments. To begin with, let’s start with a statement: “All instruments are subject to errors and/or misinterpretations.” A warning: “If you don’t know how to use an instrument, or understand its’ limita- tions, you are better off without it.” And some advise: “Caution and commonsense when using quality instruments will usually yield good information.” But enough of this, hopefully you’ll get my point as we look at instrumentation systems more closely. The basic “instrument ” aboard all vessels is the marine compass. Its’ a truly remarkable, reliable piece of gear once it is properly adjusted for the boat that surrounds it. Since there are numerous good books on compasses and their use, including the venerable “Chapman’s”, there is no necessity to explain how this simple instrument works. But its simplicity can also be its weakness if you don’t understand magnetism. If you have moved any major ferromagnetic (i.e. iron, steel, etc.) components on the boat since the last time the compass was checked you may have a problem and not know it. Likewise, if you have moved any electrical wiring or changed the current flow in wires close to the compass, you could also have a problem. Even the storage of your toolbox or placement your favorite binoculars too close to the compass could significantly alter your port of arrival. You should check your compass at least annually, preferably after all your gear is in its normal stored location. There are several ways to do it. I usually consult the almanac (or Eldridge) and use the sun’s azimuth at sunrise but another simple way is to use a fixed range on a calm day. You can also use your LORAN or GPS, but remember to pick a position that is at least 10 miles away from your current position. You also need to make sure you have programmed the readout for a magnetic heading. If you have set up the GPS or LORAN for a true heading verify that you have set the variation correctly. If the compass heading has changed more than 2 or 3 degrees you should have the compass / vessel system checked by a professional compass adjuster. The main point here is to check your compass at least annually. Another group of instruments that we tend to ignore are those that monitor the engine functions. 99% of the time we take these instruments totally for granted, until something suddenly doesn’t seem right and you really need know what is going wrong. Now you’re really aware of the gauges. But are they right?..….Do they even work? Have you ever checked them? For most of us the honest answer is no, we never have. We always took their readings at face value and never questioned their accuracy. From a practical standpoint, you don’t really have to calibrate these instruments, but you do need to check their operation before starting the engine and during the warm-up process. You also need to know what the “right” reading should be. Do you? Electrical gauges have the unique characteristic of having both a mechanical zero and an electrical zero. This property makes them easy to check for basic operation. Before you turn anything on (like the ignition key), look at where the needle rests. This is the mechanical zero. When you first apply power to gauge, but before you start cranking the engine, the needle will move (sometimes jump) to the electrical zero position. When you see this movement it indicates that the winding inside the meter movement are good and the bearings that support the needle are OK. If you don’t ……well something could be wrong. (Or, in the case of a temperature gauge, you may have an older style mechanical gauge that does not have an electrical meter movement.) An electrical meter movement should move freely. The actual value that it reads is less important as long as you know what it displays when the engine is warmed up and operat- ing normally. In fact many modern meters don’t even display a numerical value, just an approximate value. The word “Hot” doesn’t really tell you much, except that this relative value is above the “Normal” range of the engine. But again, the main point here is not the technical complexity of the engine gauges. Its that they have to work, and that you really need to know what a “normal” reading is BEFORE the information supplied by the gauge becomes critical. As with the compass, these instruments need to be checked for proper operation. My recommendation is that you take a serious look at them every time you run the engine. This way you know what the normal reading is and you will be aware of anything that is changing over time, like a heat exchanger that is slowly becoming less effective, or an alternator that isn’t recharging the batteries. In the next article we will get into the navigation instruments and the things to be aware of when approaching that unfamiliar harbor in the dark on a rainy night. – 5 – Tech Tips by Bill Whitney