If you’ve ever taken a flying lesson, you know that aviators are big on checklists. Even for experienced pilots, relying on memory alone for procedures is not enough. Checklists ensure every critical task gets completed, because forgetting an item—putting down the landing gear, for example—can be disastrous. So aircraft engineers and designers take great care to work out the steps on checklists, whether for pre-departure, take off, landing, emergency, or post-flight.
 
As many of you may know, the Fairwind Yacht Club evolved out of the Hughes Aircraft Company Engineer Sailing Club. And so the legacy of the checklist extends here as well. Like pilots, we sailors at FYC also use a pre-departure checklist to ensure everything is in order before to leaving the dock. It’s right there in the Log Sheet.
 
As we enter into the high season, and our boats get used more often and by more members, it is more important than ever that we take the time and carefully go through the Log Sheet checklist before going out and after as we are putting boats away.
 
Our boat chiefs have taken care to develop and update the Log Sheet checklists so that our Club can run smoothly and safely. Please remember to make the time—at least half an hour after you expect to return to the dock—to clean and put the boat away, ensuring each item on the checklist is addressed.
 
And if something is out of order when you arrive at the boat, please note it in the log sheet so we can address the issue with the previous reservation holder.
 
If we all take a little more care with each item on the Log Sheet checklists, we can ensure our boats stay in service and in pleasant condition for all our members and guests.  

Please, forward all questions/concerns to me at:
Drew Baldwin, Rear Commodore MdR
mdr.rearcommodore@fairwind.org

Of course, in the last newsletter, I jinxed the Club, when I mentioned we'd had no accidents in the last 6 months.  Last Tuesday, we had two.  One was a boat accident, one was not. In both cases, there appears, at first glance, to have been issues with situational awareness. 

In both cases, a decision was made at a critical point in time, followed by an action that went unexpectedly wrong. Both are being investigated per Club protocols.  I reiterate, when you are entering a situation that might have consequences, give what you are doing a second thought as to the outcome if something were to go wrong.

On a recent weekend I was lucky enough to have some out-of-town friends visiting who wanted to go sailing. What luck! I now had a crew for my favorite sailing activity: A Balloon Hunt! 

Much like the bygone Whale Hunts, a good balloon hunt starts with a lookout, a sharp-eyed Foremast Jack, gazing out to sea searching for that telltale glint off a Mylar Balloon. We had an extra advantage over the balloons this hunt as my lovely wife bought me a pair of Steiner Navigator Pro binoculars as a birthday gift, I highly recommend them. With a good glass it was quick to distinguish the Birds from the Balloons and the integrated compass gave our lookout an instant bearing which could be called back to the helm in a very seamanlike manner.

“There she flashes, a shiny pink heart bearing zero two two!”

We heard the hail, no longer were we uninspired sailors aimlessly close hauled for routine’s sake, now we were on an intercept course. The chase was on! 

The mate climbs into position at the windward shroud, a cold steely look in their eyes as their fingers slowly grip around their aluminum plastic tipped boat hook. They think “If it’s a fast floater I’ll thrust the lance down to pop it, then a quarter twist to pull it up OR if there’s a long string maybe I’ll risk a spaghetti twirl and bring it up alive and let my boat knife get a taste of helium."

As the prey draws nearer sheets are let loose to let go of speed, the helmsman plies the wheel to keep the balloon just to windward of the bow. Once upon the balloon the helm loses sight of it, but in a flash the mate thrusts down and up. The helmsmen know their course was true as the hook is raised and onto the deck plops a dripping, glistening, plastic mess that once was the harbinger of some holiday, birthday, or used car sales event. 

“ANOTHER FLASH BEARING THREE FOUR FOUR!!” the lookout bellows, the sails are set, the course is laid, and the next chase begins!

That day we hauled in 8 balloons (Including a red heart, a pink heart, a pink number two, a colorful cube reading “Happy Birthday”, a gold number zero with most of the gold mylar flaked off, and one floating plastic bag of trash. Oh… also when we were over Redondo Canyon, we were surrounded by dozens of pods of common bottlenose dolphins. There must have been 80 to 100 dolphins jumping around and chasing the fish. It was the most spectacular dolphin scene anyone every clapped eyes on in Santa Monica Bay, it was incredible. 

Attached is a photo of our Balloon Hunt Crew on Osprey’s foredeck with our prize catches. 

 

An invitation to sign up to skippers or crew will be emailed to all members in good standing about a month before each cruise.

Questions or concerns?  Please email Arlene de Anda at mdr.cruisechair@fairwind.org

In California, each year a new age group is added to boaters who are required to have a valid card. For 2021, the law requires everyone 40 years old or younger to have a card. By 2025, everybody on the water will be required to have one. Once issued, the card remains valid for life.