FINALLY the weather has turned! We were out sailing last week and enjoyed a lovely afternoon on an empty bay! Opening Day is around the corner as is the Wooden Boat Festival and all the other activities we have come to enjoy during the spring and summer. I am ready!
Cis and I have been traveling as of late, for various reasons. Most were short trips up and down the coast but we enjoyed every bit of it. A highlight was a 3 day jaunt to Oakland, Berkley and San Francisco. We stayed at the Waterfront Plaza Hotel, in Oakland, in Jack London Square. We had a lovely room on the water and my jaw hit the floor when I stood on our deck and watched as two tall ships sailed in and moored directly in front of our room!
The LADY WASHINGTON and BILL OF RIGHTS sailed in side by side and, with crack crews, did a fine job of securing both vessels. We chatted with some of the crew members and they were delightful young people. We took great pleasure in watching groups of school kids scream and giggle their ways up the boarding ladders and take their positions in front of the respective Captains. During each day, both vessels took a group of kids out for a day of sailing and learning. How wonderful to watch! Of course I was reminded of our very own Maritime Museum and remembered how much I enjoy seeing the docents and crewmembers help youngsters to learn about and enjoy the sea and the history of the vessels which carried so many men and women around the world. I take this opportunity, again, to encourage you all to consider supporting our Maritime Museum. One of this month’s photos is a view from our hotel deck.
While activity on PC Row slowed a bit over the last few months, the respite from the rain and warmer weather has brought skippers out like a hot weather termite swarm. I see people out cleaning and varnishing and getting ready for the coming sailing season. Our club members will celebrate 119 years of SDYC Opening Days! This makes our 75-year-old fleet seem like a teenager! I will remind readers that of the 78 PCs completed from 1929 to 1956 (when the last hull number, 83, was completed), 27 of them reside in San Diego. One is in our Maritime Museum, 6 are owned by non-SDYC members and the rest are skippered by club members. For those of you interested, this is the latest tally of the PC fleet:
83 Hulls Assigned
4 Never built = 79 hulls completed
To date:
56 Identified
23 Unidentified
Of the identified vessels:
45 Sailing
6 Lost
1 Converted and no longer measures a PC
4 Missing (I have no information on these vessels)
This, of course means that over 50% of the surviving PCs are in San Diego Bay! All I need to do now is find those lost souls who want to restore a PC but don’t know it yet! I know where your boat is! Call me when you read this!
Fleet member Tony Wilson called me that other day to give report on the progress of Hull #35 over at Bill Clark’s yard. He took some photos and promised to make them available to me soon so we can enjoy seeing her come back to life. As I have said so many times before, it brings a smile to my face just knowing that yet another boat will be saved. Stay tuned for further updates as time goes bye.
The month of May will bring two scheduled regattas. Our local Ancient Mariners will host the annual “Yesteryear Regatta, to be held on Saturday, May 14th. This Regatta is a perfect opportunity to see a bunch of beautiful old wooden boats out on the water. Toward the end of the month, we will see the monthly SDYC One Designs to be held on Sunday, May 22nd. Please mark your calendars for these two terrific events.
Well… it’s been cloudy all the day, but as I look to the sou’west, I can see just enough blue to “patch the Dutchman’s breeches”. Might lead to a lovely afternoon sail…
Have a great month and Happy Birthday to our club!
Richard S. “Rish” Pavelec
PC # 16 DAWN
