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G THE DREAM
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UNDERWAYmay 2016cruisingworld.com12
Facebook Q&AWhat’s your favorite
at-anchor activity?Dinner in the cockpit
while the sun is set-
ting! — M.K.Snorkeling and diving.
— F.C.Sailing our rigged
dinghy around the
anchorage! — J.C.Turn up the music and
pour some rum and
Coke for a good time.
— C.L.Diving the anchor!
— S.T.Windsurfi ng. — T.N.Fishing at night and
wondering what the
heck we have on the
line. — S.R.Paddleboarding around
to see other boats.
— W.L.Reading a good
book, exploring in
the tender, kayaking,
swimming, snoozing,
sunset drinks, prepar-
ing delicious food ...
the list is endless! —
R.Y.H.Screwing ... the cap of
a good rum. — E.K.event each fall so he can have his
own relaxed racing experience.
Started in 2006 by seven former
college sailors looking to extend
their season, the rally has taken on
a life of its own, with well over 100
sailors on the water each year.
The concept is simple: Bring
anything with a sail, and a Ports-
mouth Yardstick rating is given
along with a start time for the
pursuit-style race. The slowest
boats start fi rst, from the beach,
in hopes of everyone fi nishing
around the same time. A barbe-
cue awaits fi nishers, and awards
include a coveted last-place tro-
phy and the Pine Needle Award,
given to the craft with the most
yard debris remaining on the boat
from storage.
In 2015, the quaint Spindle
Rock Club hosted the rally. Many
boats in the contest are summer
tenders; this year, craft ranged
from a diminutive Cape Cod
Frosty to a Polynesian sailing
canoe. A family of four aboard
their Hobie 16 won after manyyears of trying. With children
accounting for more than half the
ralliers, it was no surprise to see
kids passing their parents in the
cool, swirling river waters.
“We’re trying to provide a
fun on-the-water experience,”
says Tracy Hayley Smith, who
crammed into a Beetle Cat with
fi ve kids and an old friend. “Tow-
ing the Opti, fl ipping it, having
raft-ups with friends in the sum-
mer, that’s the base line, and the
rally is just an extension of that.”
Hayley Smith and her crew
never fi nished, but the children
licked happily through a bag of
Tootsie Pops. Like George Hill,
she is a competitive sailor. But
this rally is the only regatta where
that tendency gets shut of. “The
ratings are impossible,” she says.
“Just roll with it. Sail as far as you
can and enjoy it.”— Chris MuselerWith children
accounting for more
than half the ralliers,
it was no surprise to
see kids passing their
parents.WHAT, NO SUNSCREEN?
As a captain, I take safety
seriously, and do a safety briefi ng
before every outing with new
passengers. Do we really need a
letter to the editor every time
there is a picture of a child with-
out a PFD (“Prickling Over
PFDs,” March 2016)? Safety isour collective responsibility.
Own it, regardless of the pic-
tures in a magazine. What’s
next? We’ll have letters to the
editor because people aren’t
wearing wide-brimmed hats for
sun protection?
Dave Kanzler
Via emailOne of my happiest days each month is the day my new
Cruising World arrives. At that moment, it’s as if a portal
opens, time stands still, and the cold temperatures of
North Dakota suddenly transform into tropical warmth
with sunshine, light breezes, full sails and gentle, rolling
waves. This month, when I touched the cover, it immedi-
ately said one word to me: “change.” I am one who relishes
and embraces change! With a spark in my eye, I lifted my
new treasure, and immediately noticed the weight while I
tried to sort out what was happening. Looking at the cover
again, my smile grew ... “change.” Then I slowly read the
Editor’s Log, “Down the Ways — Again” (Feb. 2016), and
have reread it many times.
The waters of North Dako-
ta are frozen over, and our lit-
tle sailing vessel, Quiet Breezes,
lies in our backyard. I have
her tied of to three anchors
due to the winds. She’s a ca-
pable little 1973 24-foot Mac-
Gregor. Her mast is raised
(confusing the heck out of my
neighbors), and I spend many
evenings brushing the snow
aside and sitting on the fore-
deck lost in dreams. Oh, we
sail her every single weekend
when the waters are fl uid. We
even sleep on her when we’re
on the water, and it doesn’t matter what the weather is
doing. We’re on her every possible minute, working, learn-
ing, sailing, reading, cooking, everything. When other
boats are headed into shelter, we are the little blue sail-
boat headed into deeper waters on Lake Sakakawea with
our lights shining brightly and all our safety gear on. Sure,
we’ve been knocked down a couple of times and had our
share of rough rides, but we chalk it up as good experience
for the future we are working toward.
While we continue to plan our fi nal escape to the ocean
and our own seaworthy vessel, CW keeps the dream alive. For
that, I thank you and everyone who contributes in any way to
this most amazing publication. We understand that change is
constant and embrace the new compass heading fully.
Tim Brown
Via emailQuiet Breezes sails Lake
Sakakawea every weekend.ELEANOR MERRILL (LEFT); TIM BROWN
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