ORACLE Racing: The Boss Takes the Helm

Spokane Boat Show day 1

Here are a few pictures from today's opening day of  the Spokane Boat Show (www.spokaneboatshow.com). The fishing seminars and wood boats on display were very well received by attendees, as well as the sailboats.

Today at the SAIL Marine booth it was reported that Sailing the Inland NW received several new members. These sailors sail a variety of sailboats such as the West Wright Potter 15 & 19, a Hobie 18 and Bravo, Super Snark, and various monohull dinghies. In addition there was lot of interest in all the sailboats on display in the SAIL Marine booth. Not bad for the first day of the show.

We sure hope to see you all at this years Spokane Boat Show...

Miles Moore

Sailing the Inland NW

http://funtosail.blogspot.com/

Iceboating on Canyon Ferry, Montana

Spokesman Review DisAbled Sailing

There was a time when Scott Bailey viewed life from his wheelchair as a never-ending struggle.


After a car accident severed his spinal column in 1990, leaving the then-20 year old paralyzed from the waist down, moving about on a day-to-day basis proved a difficult undertaking. Several years later, an experience even more unimaginable transpired.


“I had a wound and it went to the bone. It healed up, but the bone was exposed to air too long,” explained Bailey, 40, of Spokane. “So a few years after that, I started getting sick, wondering what’s going on … It would be in middle of August and I was wearing winter coats, just shaking from being cold. Come to find out I had osteomyelitis in my legs and it was moving up into my pelvic bone. Then in 2000, they finally shipped me to (the University of Washington) and amputated my legs.”


Bailey, who stood 5-feet-9 before the surgery, had always loved working with his hands and dreamed of becoming a deckhand on an Alaskan fishing boat. That changed, however, as he adapted to his now 2-foot-11 stature and confined sense of mobility. “Here I was, 28 years old, wondering what’s what, you know. But they gave me a second chance at life,” he said of the surgeons at UW.


What he lost in physical form, Bailey gained in psychological strength. And thanks to a friend, Hayden resident Miles Moore, whom he met in 2003, Bailey has learned to see through his disability with Moore’s everything-is-accessible attitude.


The two hit it off immediately, and Moore showed the wheelchair-bound Bailey that any preconceived notions about disabilities don’t have to apply outdoors. Having earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, Moore operates the Hayden-based business Sail Marine, which is where several years ago he introduced Bailey to a new passion in life – sailing.


Gliding atop a placid Lake Coeur d’Alene on a recent weekday afternoon, Bailey operated the rudder while Moore manned the ropes on his 33-foot “Windwalker” catamaran sailboat. The duo were cruising the lake as part of a recreational therapy sailing class offered by Moore’s business. It’s one of several options, which includes a “dry” learn-to-sail course taught this fall in the KROC Center swimming pool with radio-controlled sailboats, an online sailing class that’s taught with a text and RC models, and a few others on the lake, such as the “It’s Tiller Time Sailing School” beginner’s course and a cruising/navigation/team building class.


“What we are trying to do now is recruit more sailors because I think there are a lot of people who don’t even know they can do this stuff,” Moore said, straddling the mat on the wind-swept boat.


A native of Westport, Wash., Moore started recreational therapy by offering hand-cycling classes for wheelchair-bound individuals in 1995. As a youth with a learning disability, youth at risk, Moore has always wanted to help others.


Sailing became an obvious way to do that once he took a few friends out on the water.


“I met Scott and a few other guys and they really liked sailing, and it’s been the love of my life since I was 6. I’ve never looked back and I just love it, so it was just a natural progression that way,” he explained. “Now I just focus on sailing. Rec-therapy is called ‘active treatment,’ and you’re helping them reintegrate into life, and into an active lifestyle.”


Last winter, SAIL (Self Awareness In Leisure) gained its nonprofit status. Now, Moore is looking to fill the class rosters, which includes courses on small sailing dinghies for fun. But it’s not just for persons with disabilities; able-bodied are just as welcome. Disabled, Moore stated, is a term he’s does not like to use.


He prefers “accessible,” since his classes are open to all.


“They are not disabled classes; they are accessible classes. Whether you have a disability or not, you can be a part of the class; even if you have a disability, the boats are accessible,” he said. Moore said the allure of sailing is universal, though people with disabilities might find it especially freeing. “Most of the people I work with like the peace and tranquility of sailing. A lot of them are constantly going to the hospital, seeing doctors, being poked and prodded, and it’s nice to just get out on the water, get away. They can leave it at the shoreline. Just come out and enjoy it,” he said. “When people ask if I work with the disabled, I say no, I don’t. You’re only as disabled as you allow yourself to be.”


Added Bailey, who sat propped up against a side railing as he guided the craft across the low waves: “That’s just it – it’s the peace and quiet, and the wind in your hair. Holding the rudder, you can actually feel the water underneath you.”


Moore described the sometimes-difficult nature of being a recreational therapist because of the severe nature of some of the injuries he encounters.

“Over time I’ve had some people who’ve passed away, or become really frail and just can’t do it anymore,” he said about working with persons with disabilities. “Now we’re getting ready to really go gung-ho. We’re trying to still grab a few people by the end of the season … try to get them thinking that this is something they might want to do.”


The learn-to-sail course begins run April-October, and indoor radio controlled sailboat classes take place year round. With the model sailing indoor classes the first session, a two-hour Saturday morning class, Moore will show the basics by using a sailing simulator that spins with sail bands attached, making it easier to learn how to read the wind. In the second session, everyone will learn the ropes by taking control of RC sailboats.


“It’s really good because people can come right up to the edge of the pool and learn the whole process of sailing, all indoors. Then they just take what they learned there and transfer it into a full-size boat like this,” he said.


But that’s not all they’re planning. If they can raise the necessary funds, Moore and Bailey hope to compete in next year’s national championship for disabled and nondisabled teams.


“We’re trying to put an accessible team together of people with disabilities and able-body and hopefully go down to Newport, Calif., to do the big regatta they have down there,” Moore said. “We’re trying to get some funding … It’s something we’ve been trying to do for a while.”


Since learning to sail, Bailey has added a range of outdoor sports to his list of activities. He also downhill skis and has performed in several hand-cycling marathons.


“The first couple of years being in the chair, I did a lot of pushing … I never thought the struggle would end, and it never does. But it was so, so hard,” he said. “But you’ve got to get your body tuned … Now, it still tires me out sometimes but I feel like I can go forever.


“I always wondered what my niche in life is. Now, I think I’ve found it,” he said. “If you set your mind to it, you can do anything in this world, with or without a disability.”

By Jacob Livingston of the Spokesman Review

Sailing World News

Ice sailing on Sprague Lake WA.

It's Sunday. Wind predicted. Lake might even be frozen. Up early, light the fire. Cross the meadow and fire up the stove in the shop. Begin gathering up the scattered pieces that turn the little Fed landsailer into an iceboat. Remember how to fit it all together. Sharpen and align the blades. Strap her onto the trailer, and head west.

It's an hour and a quarter drive across the sensuous rolling hills of the Palouse, to Sprague Lake. The farmland is blanketed in white, with occasional bursts of brilliant sunshine bringing out the diamonds.

I roll in at 2 pm, there's an inch and a half of cold, dry powder atop 4 inches of smooth, hard ice. Wind out of the NE, 8 mph, running straight down the lake. Rig the boat, suit up, and I'm soon cruising around at 35 mph, carving great arcs on the pristine surface. Not a soul around, the last of the ice fishermen pulling off as I arrived.An occasional break to make an adjustment to the machine, or add a layer. Both of us finally get fully tuned, and I zip around til I run out of daylight. 42 mph max for the afternoon. De rig under a full moon and headlamp, and motor home contentedly, with that smile I'm so fond of. Season on!

Written by Dave Farmer of Spokane WA. USA. 12/10/2010 

It's a NEW YEAR! I hope that new year brings you smooth seas and great success!

In 2011 there are many fabulous Inland Northwest sailing events to participate in so visit the Sailing the Inland NW page on this blog for a calendar of events and club news.

Visit www.funtosail.com for new and used sailboats, products, and lessons...

34th America's Cup coming to San Francisco

Zhik 2011 Moth Worlds- Highlights of the Week

Intro to the Extreme Sailing Series 2011

Channeled Scablands Adventure

By Miles Moore, Sept. 29th 2010,

In the heart of the Columbia Basin in Eastern Washington is a boating paradise of lakes, rivers, and canals that few places in the world can rival. This majesty is known specifically as the Drumheller Channeled Scablands. Up until 1951 the area was an arid waste land with very little ability to support life. With creation of the Columbia Basin Hydroelectric Project (starting with the Grand Coulee Dam and associated canals) all that changed. Some lakes in this area were created as wider spots in the canals or via large and small dams, but many others were unplanned, created by the seepage of water through the basalt.

As part of my work to develop an Inland NW Lakes & River Guide for my funtosail.com website, I found that it might be possible to experience a 45 mile adventure of sorts beginning at the northern most boat launch on Moses Lake, crossing the dike out of the lake, continuing on through Potholes Reservoir, and then paddling down the Potholes canal through the small chain lakes to the town of Othello, WA.

So on September 24th after careful study of the area I loaded up my Hobie Tandem Island (TI) and invited one of my 16 year old twin sons to do the trip with me. Of course, his youthful energy and endurance would not hurt in speeding our trip as well. :)

Day 1
We started our trip at 12:20 PM. The Moses Lake portion of the trip was peaceful and uneventful. At the south end of the lake we lowered our mast to pass under the I-90 Bridge, then headed to the dike that separates Moses Lake from the Potholes Reservoir. At this dike there are twin spill ways with associated channels; I call them the Devry and Dausen Channels. The northern most spill way is the easiest to get around creating the Devry Channel. On the Moses Lake side of the dike is a paved path to the waters edge with a fenced fishing platform. Next to this platform is where we removed the TI from the water at 3:42 PM.


We put the TI on the dolly and walked it up the path (that dolly is worth it's weight in gold!) across the gravel road and down the path below the spill way. When entering the channel on the north side there is a rocky but gradual path to the waters edge but on the south side the path is sandy and narrow with a muddy shore. Unfortunately the shoreline below the spill way is littered with garbage which distracts from the beauty. However once we started down the channel a short distance we didn't see anymore garbage and the environment was once again very vibrant with frogs, turtles, lots of fish, and many waterfowl species.
This time of year the water level is very low and one must stay in the channel to not go aground. We found that there was a 2 mile area just before entering the open water of the reservoir where, with a depth of only about 4-6 inches of water... there is no channel; we had to walk the TI through this area. Oddly, with a young man just turning 16, it wasn't a bad experience, but rather an adventure instead. :)

As the sun set we turned southwest toward MarDon Resort (mardonresort.com), our resting place. We chose MarDon Resort rather than the near-by State Park because we wanted to sleep in a nice bed versus in a tent, and because the MarDon Resort owners and employees know the area well and give plenty of info to contribute to enjoying the area. As we approached the marina, my son found himself very annoyed by 3 lights from a distance. Why? Because it seemed to him that the harder we peddled toward it, the further away the lights appeared. It was like the lights were teasing him with a snooty “catch us if you can.” When you are tired things tend to annoy you. Finally at 8:29 we docked at the marina and made our way to our motel room... a very welcome sight!

Day 2

The following morning we woke up to the sound of rain (darn), but there was wind so that was good news. At 11:04 AM the rain stopped and we left the dock sailing along the dam to the boat launch. The wind allowed us to sail on a beam reach almost all the way to the launch. A few times one of our amas/hulls almost went under water when a gust hit the sail; but never did the TI feel unstable. We were hitting speeds of 9-10 knots so we got across the reservoir rather quickly.
Once at the launch we pulled the TI up the launch (which was longer than normal due to the low water level) and walked about a mile to the Potholes Canal access site recommended by Mike Meseberg, the owner of MarDon Resort and a local hunting and fishing guide. The access site is a three sided concrete wall built into the dike that extends away from the canal creating a nice eddy. We totally took the TI apart and un-loaded all the gear to make the TI center hull as light as possible. I attached a rope through the rear scupper holes and belayed the TI 30 feet to the waters edge while my son guided it. Once in the water we assembled it and started our trip down the canal.

A few hundred feet down this canal is the Soda Lake Road Bridge about 12’ off the water; thankfully our 19' tall mast was very easy to lower and it only took a minute. This portion of the canal is about a mile long with walls of about 20 to 40 feet high and no place to get out of the canal the whole way until almost to the lake. Near the lake the canal narrowed slightly with a faster current; overall the canal averaged about 20-30 feet wide. The first lake is the 2 mile long Soda Lake, the biggest of the lakes we would pass through this day. We sailed the whole lake with winds of 8-12 knots. This lake has a primitive launch, restroom, and campground.

At the eastern end of Soda lake is a small dam, our next and final spot to portage around. We arrived at this dam at 2:42 PM. It’s important to stay away from the dam due to extreme currents. The best place to land and go around the dam is on the north side. It’s a bit rough for those using dolly’s to move their craft as we did and there is sage brush along the dirt trail that can slow your progress. This time we portaged the IT fully assembled down about a 20 foot bank into the water and were off again.

This portion of the canal with its 2 small lakes is a little over 2 miles long and the most impressive segment of the canal due to its much higher cliffs of about 40 to 90 feet high and some river like features. We enjoyed the Great Blue Herons (GBH) along this canal, particularly the white GBH that seemed to lead us down the canal.

About a mile after the dam is the very small Elbow Lake, followed by the slightly larger Pillar Lake; they seem more like wider sections of the same canal. After these small lakes you enter the canal again. We finally entered Long Lake, a narrow mile long lake and did some more fast sailing. This lake has a primitive launch and restroom with places to camp. We sailed past some beautiful white pelicans on our way out.

In the canal after long lake is a bridge (Sheep Lakes Road bridge) to pass under that was at this time of year about 15’ off the water. This portion of the canal is the widest with sections of about 40’ to 60’ wide and the canal is over a mile long.

The next lakes we entered is the mile long Crescent Lake followed by a short canal and then enter the half mile long Lower Crescent Lake. There is no shore access to these lakes for vehicles so these lakes are the most remote of the lakes with majestic canyon walls and wind swept hills.

The final section of the canal leaving Crescent Lake to Othello is about 6.5 miles long. The walls along this part of the Canal are steep but not like cliffs in the other sections of this canal that we passed through.

The wind was funneling straight down the canal. For most human powered craft this would have been an issue; but since the TI has a sail we were able to sail up the canal. We sailed close hauled with the windward telltale not quite flowing so we could point a little higher. With the amount of wind we had we were clipping along at about 4 knots. However we were tacking about every 5 to 9 seconds. We did not mind the tacking as the break the sailing gave us from peddling into the wind was very welcomed. About 3 miles into the canal is a little muddy bay we named Otter Bay because of the Otters we were privileged to see there.

We only stopped in Otter Bay for about 15 minutes before heading out again. A mile or so after Otter Bay we passed under the West Mcmanamon Road Bridge where we had to lower our mast again to pass under. Less than a mile after the bridge there is a steel framed non-vehicle bridge, high enough that we were able to pass under.

The final bridge at W Main Streetin Othello is where we finished our trip at 6:37 PM. It is important to note you must not pass to the other side of the bridge, as right next to the bridge and down stream is a pipe crossing the canal with several more right after that. These pipes that cross the canal can be potentially dangerous when high speed currents are present. Under the bridge is a nice packed dirt take-out site. We unloaded our gear and then portaged the TI in pieces up the steep bank to the road. In all, this trip took us 7 hours and 33 minutes. In the end, navigating the various bodies of waters and canal sections; the choice of water craft; and my physically powerful son together proved a very successful combination. This was also an extremely bonding experience for my son and I. In total we pedaled, paddled, sailed, and pulled and walked our TI for a total of 45 miles.

For more info about this trip and other inland nw lakes and rivers visit funtosail.com or email Miles Moore at info@funtosail.com

The Long Bridge Swim is a1.76 mile open water swim along the HWY 95 Long Bridge that spans the northwest portion of Lake Pend Oreille before entering Sandpoint Idaho.

This year’s events showed off the local youth talent. Fourteen year old Bryce Kananowicz splashed the field of some 800 swimmers finishing the swim in an amazing 33 minutes and 53 seconds. The second place finisher Peyton Austin Layman of Littleton, Colorado, who is 16-years-old, finished 3 minutes back at an also impressive time of 36 minutes and 40 seconds. The first female finisher was Peyton Bowen of Coeur d’Alene Idaho at 40 minutes and 30 seconds, placing her at 14th place overall. Peyton is also 14-years-old showing youth in this years event as king and queen.

This event is certainly not just about who won the event but about helping people see the benefits of swimming and being safe while doing it. Race organizer, Eric Ridgway, has raced in the event all 16 times. Persons participating in this race ranged from an 8 year old girl to and 80 year old Spokane Nun and also included Jan Whitcomb of Coeur d’Alene… a person with Multiple Sclerosis who swam entirely with the use of only her arms.

This is a great event to watch because you can view it from the bridge. So not only is it an impressive event for the swimmers but also a spectacular event to onlookers.

Top 20 finishers — 1, Bryce Kananowicz, M, 14, Liberty Lake, Wash., 33:53. 2, Austin Layman, M, 16, Littleton, Colo., 36:40. 3, Donald Moravec, M, 50, Spokane, 37:52. 4, Ed Davis, M, 47, Pullman, 38:29. 5, Gus Koch, M, 15, Hayden, 38:29. 6, Chris Mann, M, 16, Sandpoint, 38:30. 7, Pat McChesney, M, 60, Spokane, 38:41. 8, Tim Burnham, M, 51, Cashmere, Wash., 39:09. 9, Rob Davis, M, 52, Calgary, 39:27. 10, Bryan Buck, M, 48, Irvine, Calif., 39:33. 11, Aaron Fullen, M, 24, Colbert, 39:35. 12, Marcos Donolo, M, 35, Pullman, 39:38. 13, William McLaughlin, M, 27, El Cajon, Calif., 40:11. 14, Peyton Bowen, F, 14, Rathdrum, 40:30. 15, Annie Warner, F, 30, Nine Mile Falls, 40:46. 16, David Lien, M, 41, Sandpoint, 41:09. 17, David Barnes, M, 59, Hayden, 42:11. 18, Mark Comfort, M, 56, Missoula, Mont., 42:14. 19, Brian Aucott, M, 45, Bothel, Wash., 42:22. 20, Joseph Hendry, M, 17, Benton City, Wash., 42:23.

Long Bridge Swim - Video Here

For more info about this event visit http://longbridgeswim.org/

Sunday, August 8, 2010
By MILES MOORE

WOOD BOAT FESTIVALS

This year the Sandpoint Wood Boat Festival took place July 10th -11th and the Coeur Wood Boat Festival took place Aug. 21st – 22nd. Both event organizers say their wood boat festival is the largest in the Inland Northwest; but honestly from my view point they are both about the same size, each averaging about 50 boats per show. Both shows are well organized and well attended.

For most people wood boats are too expensive to purchase and too much work to maintain; so why then do so many people attend these shows? The answer is they are drawn to the beauty of these boats. Wood boats are more of a form of art than a product that is mass produced. Each wood boat is individually unique from bow to stern. I was dazzled by many of the boats builders’ attention to detail even with the stern flag poles. Boats at the shows range in size from 12’ to Hagadone’s 60’ sailing yacht (only available at the Coeur d’Alene show). Walking the docks to view these beautiful boats is an experience in and of its self.

Most boats at these shows are beautifully maintained but there were a few that were for sale that need some work. If you have never attended a wood boat show but love boats these two shows should be on your list of shows to attend. Many of the boat owners love to talk to show attendees about their experiences with their boats. Those that built their own boats from scratch are in my book the most interesting to talk with, giving you details of their experiences throughout the building process and even giving you local and regional history of wood boats… extremely fascinating.

The next event you can see wood boats at will be the 2011 Spokane Boat Show at the Spokane Fair Grounds, January 29th through Feb 6th, 2011. This is the largest boat show in the Inland NW and compared to the Seattle Boat Show. It’s also a more realistic show, as the boats at this show are more in the reach of the average person with a budget during in these tough economic times. Visit http://www.spokaneboatshow.com/ for more info.

For 2011 the Sandpoint show will take place July 9th - 10th, visit http://sandpointchamber.org/ for more info. The Coeur d’Alene Wood Boat Festival will take place Aug. 20th -21st. Visit http://www.cdachamber.com/ for more info.

Elsie Lake, Idaho

ELSIE LAKE, Idaho

On Aug 8th I traveled with friends and family to Elsie Lake, Idaho from Coeur d’Alene Idaho (about 50 miles from Coeur d’Alene). From Coeur d’Alene you take HWY 90 east past Kellogg Idaho and exit the HWY at Exit 54 (Big Creek Exit). Then one travels at first southwest after exiting the HWY on Big Creek Road to the lake. This road is paved a short distance before it turns to a smooth gravel road for a few miles and then into to a very rough road suited only for 4x4’s with good ground clearance (you will pass over big ruts in the road as well as pass through a slide area). Once you come to a wooded saddle near the top of the mountain you will descend down a 9% grade to the lake. The road is not well marked but staying on the main road will get you to the lake.

Elsie Lake is in a beautiful setting of heavily wooded area with steep mountains. Fishing, swimming, and hiking are the popular activities here. Even in the summer months the water is still quite chilly. This lake is stocked with Rainbow & Brook Trout. Only electric motors are allowed on this lake (no gas). There are camp sites all around the lake except on the east shore line where there is a steep mountain and cliffs. There is one restroom at this lake with no running water. The lake is about 80 deep at its deepest and visibility in the water is about 20 feet. The lake is a round shape of about 200 acres in size.

I took my Hobie Adventure Island (Sail Yak) to the lake and had some great mid day winds to sail with. While I sailed I consistently saw fish jumping. The lake’s beauty is absolutely stunning. We spent the night around the camp fire listening to the sounds of the wildlife and gazing at the abundant stars.

I ran out of time to hike the area as my family and I spent all our time on the water. While there, we were told of a hiking trail that takes you along a ridge that allows you to see for miles in any direction and to look down on the lake. We will do this next time we go there. Since its only 50 miles from Coeur d’Alene it’s an easy enough trip to do in a day.

For more info about this lake go to www.funtosail.com; slide down the home page click on Lakes & River Guide link and then click on Shoshone County in the north Idaho section.

Written by Miles Moore, 8/11/2010.