97-Year-Old Message in a Bottle

It's not everyday that you hear about a real-life message in a bottle outside of a romantic comedy! Maybe we should keep our eyes out for a movie based on this story...

Because Guinness World Records confirmed the April 12 discovery of a 97-year-old message in a bottle by the Shetland Islands fishing boat. The bottle was released on June 10, 1914, by the Glasgow School of Navigation, one of a batch of 1,890 scientific research bottles designed to float close to the seabed. The location of the returned bottles allowed researchers to map the undercurrents of the seas around Scotland.

"It was just a normal day and we were out fishing for monkfish," Andrew Leaper, 43, who skippered the boat, Copious, said. "As we hauled in the nets, with a mixed catch of monks, megrim and cod, I spotted the bottleneck sticking out of the cod end of the net.

"I quickly grabbed the bottle before it fell back in the sea," he added.

{Read more}

Whitsunday Islands

I find myself wondering all the time, "Where are our students going after they take courses from us? Are they sailing? Are they stuck on land simply with the dream of sailing?" We get to see so many of them come back and charter is the San Juan Islands with us, but the ones who don't remain a mystery. So, when I heard from Doug, I was elated! (Doug and his son, Kaj, took classes this summer)

 

"We're just back from our trip to Australia, where we did a one week  bareboat charter in the Whitsunday Islands...The trip was great.  In particular, thanks to SJS and Mike the sailing portion was terrific, stress-free and thus more fun because Kaj and I knew enough to handle the boat, make anchorages (many anchorings!) etc. without setting ourselves up for ugly surprises. The boat systems part of the course also was a boon; much less mystification and much better ability to tell our crew (there were 5 of us on a 41' Jeanneau) how to make water last, not stop up the heads, etc... Though our boat did have a chart plotter, the basic nav skills Mike taught us made it possible to lay out a course each morning and have a much better idea of where we were going, when we should arrive, how to get there if there was a plotter failure. Understanding the importance of wind and tide vs. anchor factors was also great; the wind/tide/current situation in the Whitsundays is equally as exciting as in the San Juans and we had a lot of anchoring to do in places where dragging would have been costly.

I should mention that we had one night with a 25kt. steady blow guesting to 39kts. while anchored among fringing reefs off Hook Island. Thanks to Mike's training (and a GPS anchor alarm down in the cabin, I'll admit) although I can't say I slept well I was at least secure in the knowledge that I could monitor the boat's position and knew how to deal w/anchor problems etc. and get the boat powered up efficiently  if things went awry. 

Thanks again for helping make it happen!"

Doug Bostrom

Seattle

 

 

{Here is} a snapshot of typical Whitsunday conditions while we were there, seasonally prevalent. Sunny, lovely tradewinds S-SE 15-20 knots. Perfect sailing conditions!! We were making about 6.5 knots when that photo was taken, did it all day without a single fault.  Swells came w/the deal but who could complain?

 

Do you have a dream of sailing? We would love to be a stepping stone for you, as we were for Doug & Kaj. Again, thanks Doug for sharing! We are looking forward to seeing you again!

-San Juan Sailing & Yachting Crew

Preparrrrre to be Boarded! {Pirate Voice}

We have had a hand full of classes going out each weekend (in addition to dozens of charters), and enjoyed hearing about Andrew & Leslie Dawes' experience on their week-long learn-n-cruise class!

"We had a great time, although we have a bit of reality whiplash as we return to parenting three boys and life back on dry land. We're already talking about when we can do our first charter."- Andrew

Happy at the Helm

Study, Study, Study

Ummm...Where Are We?

Scouting for Pirates




I know you are all wondering "Why the pirate hint in the title of this post?" I am so glad you asked!  It was Chad's birthday (another student on the boat, and a friend of Andrew's). Andrew and the rest of the crew schemed and told Chad that they were all going to dress in pirate costumes for Chad's birthday. However, joke was on him when none of the other crew showed up in costume -- save for the birthday boy (birthday man?)! But it provided for some great laughs and fantastic photos!

Boating with the Orcas

Photos taken by Alex, while out in the San Juan Islands last month. A highlight for many of our guests!

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

Roger & Marlene Van Dyken, the owners of San Juan Sailing, are currently in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We have a new boat joining us in the fleet, and they are delivering it from Virginia to Florida (where it is getting shipped over to us on the west coast). As I was doing some research on the waterway, I came across the following video. It is an 80' boat going under a 65' bridge...I hold my breath every time I watch it!

Spring Charter

Our Spring went by so quickly! But, that didn't stop our lovely guests from taking advantage of the wonder that the San Juan Islands provided.  Roger & Diane shared a little bit of their experience with us: 

"We had a great time, thank you for the tremendous service you provide. The pre-sail checkout, daily check off list, contact numbers, marina information...The boat was well equipped, and in good shape..."

Thank you Roger & Diane for being our guests and for sharing your pictures with us!

Women's Weekend

Our Annual Women's Weekend to Friday Harbor was May 14-15 this year (with another option June 4-5!). The ladies had a wonderful time, thanks to food provided by Coho Restaurant and the Doctor's Office! Two full days of sailing, and an evening of full bellies! Thank you for a wonderful weekend, full of wind, laughter, and joy!

In Sailor Terms...

 New terms for old sailing terms. We enjoyed a good laugh, hope you do as well! Cheers to the 2011 Sailing Season!


Amidships: condition of being surrounded by boats.

Anchor: a device designed to bring up mud samples from the bottom at inopportune or unexpected times.

Anchor Light: a small light used to discharge the battery before daylight

Bare Boat: Clothing Optional.
Berth: a little addition to the crew.

Boat ownership:Standing fully-clothed under a cold shower, tearing up 100-dollar bills

Boom: sometimes the result of a surprise jibe

Bottom Paint: what you get when the cockpit seats are freshly painted

Chart: a type of map which tells you exactly where you are aground.
Clew: an indication from the skipper as to what he might do next

Course: The direction in which a skipper wishes to steer his boat and from which the wind is blowing. Also, the language that results by not being able to.
Cruising: Fixing your boat in exotic locations.
Crew: Heavy, stationary objects used on shipboard to hold down charts, anchor cushions in place and dampen sudden movements of the boom.
Current: Tidal flow that carries a boat away from its desire destination, or towards a hazard.
Dead Reckoning: a course leading directly to a reef.


Deviation: any departure from the Captain’s orders.

Dinghy: the sound of the ship’s bell.

Displacement: when you dock your boat and can’t find it later.

Estimated Position: a place you have marked on the chart where you are sure you are not.

First Mate: crew member necessary for skippers to practice shouting instructions to.

Flashlight : Tubular metal container used on shipboard for storing dead batteries prior to their disposal.


Freeboard:  food and liquor supplied by the owner.

Gybe: A common way to get unruly guests off your boat.

Headway: what you are making if you can’t get the toilet to work.

Head up - Leaving the boat toilet seat up. When boat skipper is female, leaving the head up is a serious offense.


Jack Lines: `Hey baby, want to go sailing?'

Jibe: either you like it or you don’t and it gets you.

Keel: term used by 1st mate after too much heel by skipper.

Ketch: A sailboat with good wine in the cabin.

Landlubber: anyone on board who wishes he were not.

Latitude: the number of degrees off course allowed a guest.

Mast:  religious ritual used before setting sail.

Mizzen: an object you can’t find.



Sailing: The fine art of getting wet and becoming ill, while going nowhere slowly at great expense.

Schooner: A sailboat with a fully stocked liquor cabinet in the cabin.

Sheet: cool, damp, salty night covering

Shroud: equipment used in connection with a wake.

Starboard : special board used by skippers for navigation (usually with "Port" on the opposite side.)

Swell : a wave that’s just great.

Square Rigger: a rigger over 30

Sloop: A sailboat with beer and/or wine in the cabin.

Tack: A maneuver the skipper uses when telling the crew what they did wrong without getting them mad.

Caribbean Course

We kicked off the season with our first class of 2011. Since February is a little chilly around here, we sent our classes down to the British Virgin Islands, where we filled three boats with eager students.

We were a little worried about everyone's flights, as there were many closures throughout the US due to snow. Luckily, all the students and instructors made it safely to the sunshine!

Hope's first time sailing, and she is loving it!

One class exploring the baths in Virgin Gorda.

I spot a rainbow!

Yum!!

"The highlight of the trip for me was swimming with some dolphins that came into Diamond Cay on Jost Van Dyke on Saturday morning March 5th. The group of them were first spotted by our flotilla-mates on Vive la Liberte and they eventually made their way right up to our boat. Walt got some video footage, but then they just kept hanging around, so he and I decided to get into the water with them. They swam within a few feet of us and looked right at us in our masks and snorkels! The group included a mother and her calf. They were beautiful animals to see up close; an unforgettable experience!" - Brian (pictured above with Jenn)

Catch the Sailing Fever

"There is nothing- absolutely nothing-
half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."

-Ratty said to Mole in Kenneth Grahame's beloved 1908
classic, The Wind in the Willows.

Tim, Andy, Jeff and Nancy, jumped on the boat Just Fiddlin' with Captain Chris Rundlett for a week of learning, adventure, navigating, and sailing.  Tim (student) showed up after receiving the week-long class as a gift from his fiance' for a (I wont tell which year) birthday gift. Tim and his fiance' are currently on a trek around the continent in their van. You can find their blog here (you will enjoy reading about the adventures!): http://everyday.bechelbronn.com/

We find many student get off the boat at the end of the week in an excited daze. I think Tim accurately exclaims in his blog the feeling that one gets from sailing:

"That evening we dropped our first anchor in Echo Bay on Sucia Island to a perfect sunset.  The fever was lit!" (Tim, pictured below)

(photo by Tim Bradshaw)

Chris (instructor) makes sure that each student achieves the goal they came here for--keeping dialogue with each student and challenging them each day to push their skills to the next level. You can see from the picture below he really had things in line (pun intended). 

"Every day of this trip is busy with class, experiential learning, exploring islands, cooking, cleaning and sleeping." (Tim)

(photo by Tim Bradshaw)

At the end of this intense week of learning, fun, and great winds, the crew took a hike to celebrate their new skills. 

 "We loaded some beers in the backpack and climbed about a thousand vertical feet over 1.3 miles up to the cliffs. The view was more than I expected!  It was a classic panaroma of all the islands of the San Juan to the west and south of us.  It was about 6pm when we reached the summit and I hadn’t brought my camera.  The sunset was obviously going to be photo-worthy so Andy and I trekked it back down to the shore, across the water in the dinghy and grabbed the camera, snacks and more beer. Nancy, Jeff and Chris stayed and chatted while Andy and I hustled to make it back to the top just in time for sunset photos!"

(photo by Tim Bradshaw)

Some photography dessert for you:
(All photos by Tim Bradshaw)