The WEASEL Prepares for the 2009 Silva Bay Layover

"Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were goin' all the way." - Willard, Apocalypse Now.

This year the WEASEL is either mighty brave or mighty stupid. The boat is registered, the crew is all signed on, and the keg has been ordered. It is fast becoming a tradition for our boat to participate in this annual event put on by Randy Vogel (of RVYC). This event has long been known as a fun race and excellent party. Oddly I have no problem finding crew...

The race starts in English Bay near the Point Grey Bell Buoy and ends in Silva Bay where it begins the next day returning to English Bay. At Silva Bay there is a large dock party. It is unique in VARC since it uses a pursuit start where the slow boats are given their handicap by allowing them to start first.

It has largely remained unchanged over the years except when due to noise complaints the dock party location, RVYC's Silva Bay outstation was moved to the Silva Bay Marina due to noise complaints from Gabriola Island (This is really ironic considering the party has now moved closer to the complainers house! LOL) While this has split the RVYC-ers (who choose to tie-up at their outstation) from the rest of the fleet there is still an excellent dock party.

This year's keg is supplied by Storm Brewing of Vancouver.

The SEA WEASEL's first year in the event was 2008. One of the crew, Miles, had a idea. "Why by beer from the store when we could get a keg, it will be cheaper." This decision would come to haunt the WEASEL and lead to the legend that won me the 2008 Log Boom Award.

We went with a local micro brewery in East Vancouver called Storm Brewing. For $130 we got a keg containing 100+ pints of craft brewed beer. The brewery even delivered it to the dock beside the boat! This year we decided to give it a go again and keep the tradition alive. We did learn a few lessons from the year before:

1. Don't rig the keg in the boat (the bilge was full of spilled beer)
2. Don't touch it until safely at the dock

Last year's rig.

The 2008 Silva Bay Crew (left to right): Curtis, Cam, Dave, Miles, and Darryl.

This years crew of six consists of:

• Myself
• Cherylito
• Fatty-Dave
• Curt-ass
• Thomas
• Antony

* Crew is asked to keep their gear to a minimum to reduce weight on the boat, especially since were carrying the "7th man".

If you were wishing to join the crew at Silva Bay you can fly over (see below) or take BC Ferries to Duke Point (Naniamo) and transfer to the Gabriola Ferry. It is not walking distance so I would recommend a bike, or car (there is a taxi). Tenting is allowed at the Marina.

Silva Bay Marina location.

Dock layout.

Air Tofino: Float Plane Service to Silva Bay

Vancouver to Silva Bay: 9:00, 13:45 & 17:45

Silva Bay to Vancouver: 8:00, 11:00 & 16:45

Vancouver - Float Plane Terminal, 4640 Inglis Drive (near south terminal)

Gabriola Island - Silva Bay Resort, 3383 south road

One-way airfare is $67 per adult

See: http://www.tofinoair.com/ or call 1-800-665-2359 for more details

Sailing Instructions:

-click here-

VARC Listing:

-click here-

Summer Time and the Living is Easy

Watching the fleet go by on a lazy Thursday Night.

It truly feels that summer is here. After a dreary winter we're finally into the sunny season and loving it. With the FCYC Spring Thursday Night Series well under way we have been getting out and enjoying life on the water.


Reaching to the windward mark.

The WEASEL may not be taking the championship for this series but we're having fun and that's all that counts. The first race had perfect wind and without a few serious blunders we could have placed well. The second race was particularly frustrating when the race was started with little wind and us out of position above the line; but it was sunny, warm and we drifted around the course leisurely finishing last and celebrating with some 40oz home brew Thomas brought.


Paladin blasting by.

With the prospect of a summer filled with Thursday night racing, great cruising, and some VARC events I am sure this will be one of the best sailing seasons yet for the WEASEL. We have the now infamous Silva Bay Layover ahead which is promising to be a total gong show with a crew of six highly questionable individuals on board. I have promised myself that I will remain out of the water for this whole event.


Curtis trying to hitch a ride on a faster boat.

Following the Silva Bay Layover the WEASEL is going to try and get some serious cruising time in. A crab pot will have to be acquired following the debacle of the last summer's Guy Cruise which saw it committed to the deep never to be recovered. I will post cruising details and will be looking for people to join us so let me know if you want to tag along.


Cheryl needs sunglasses.

False Creek Yacht Club Thursday Night Spring Series Results

2009 TCYC Sailpast - Race - Raft Up

The beginnings of one of the biggest raft ups I have ever scene. Spot the WEASEL?

The sun was shining and the wind was blowing in at a steady 10 knot Westerly when we set out for the 2009 TCYC Sail past. I had on board Kingsley (the dog), Cheryl, her mother Jo, and sister Lisa as crew. We set off bright an early from the marina as we had to be set the final mark to create a finish line for the race off the QC buoy. I spent a lot of the motor out of the Creek inflating the Mark which had deflated since I pumped it up the day before.

We set the mark in 50ft of water which went off without incident until a RVYC power boat buzzed us by two boat lengths while producing a massive wake. I screamed obscenities and used some rather colourful hand gestures as they passed. They stood in their blazers and white pants gawking.


Tiger Lily was the biggest of the fleet and had a hard time going slow enough to stay behind us in the sail past. What a beauty!

With the mark set we hoisted the sails and beat to windward up to Tiddly Cove, a little cove not on any chart just to the south of Caufield Cove in West Vancouver. FANCY FREE, Ian's Schock 35 was anchoured off the shore and ready to review us. In all we had 20 boats show up to the sail past, over double last year's attendance. With little difficulty we formed up. I lead the first division of boats as the Fleet Captain. This presented the problem that all the boats following me could bearly slow down enough to follow me. We went past the committee boat, saluted, and began waiting around for the race to start.


The Commodore's boat at anchour proudly sporting the TCYC burgee.

The sail past race is a non-competitive race we all take part in where we sail a simple course and let a junior member of the crew helm the boat. Cheryl was elected to helm the boat on the SEA WEASEL; while normally the Fleet Captain would have been the RC for the race Ian graciously offered to do it and pull up the marks after the race. We set the course for a windward freighter off of Point Atkinson and then a straight run to the line at the QC Buoy. We were late across the line having had some difficulty with the head (another story).

We crossed the line and began a pleasant beat up wind to the freighter. Getting in line with Caufield Cove we tacked over and headed south to round the freighter. Having completed this we did a bear away set and hoisted the kite. It was tricky maneuvering around all the people in the cockpit as Cheryl's Mom and Lisa had never really been sailing before. We got the boat all settled down and began our run.


Putting the Ass in Class Michael would go on to win the race single handing VOLARE in style.

The tide was flooding fast out of First Narrows creating a strong section of seas with the wind going against the current. We rocketed forward and surfed down waves. I noticed the other boats going south to avoid this but I opted to bash my way through and stay on target. This would up working to our advantage and we passed COSSACK and gained on other yachts as we neared the line. In the end we wound up correcting into third place for division two and fifth overall.

The provisional results.

Our glorious Commodore in all his finery commanding a vessel suited to his abilities.

The two rafts about to join up.

Rob and Simon, concerned over the five boat to one anchour ratio.

Niko contemplating going aloft for some video footage.

Following the race we made our way to False Creek for the raft up and BBQ. In typical Tiddly fashion we all tried to get away without setting an anchour. We had literally 19 boats affixed to four anchours! When the current began ripping in at 2 knots the outcome was predictable. We broke away and headed for home. Not before Kingsley voided his bowels all over Joseph's boat FIRE CHASER . My crew were wanting to get off the boat so I thought I would end it on a high note. All in all it was a very successful event and an excellent kick off to the 2009 summer sailing season.

More shots of the raft up as we headed home.

Without a doubt the biggest TCYC raft up in memory.

Kingsley, the sea sick terrier.

Raft Up Videos:

2009 Halibut Bank/Popham Island Race Report

The boats forming up off of Passage Island.

Last year we competed in this race and finished last out of 5 boats. This year we knew we could do better. Unlike last year we were short crew; work schedules and other scheduling conflicts meant that only Curtis and I were able to race. We arrived at the boat and motored out to the start off of Passage Island. The ebb helped propel us out there in record time.

It was a strange day for weather; Environment Canada predicted 10-15 knots of Southeasterly wind in the morning veering to 20 knots of Southwesterly later in the morning. When we arrived at the start there was 8 knots of fluky Southeasterly breeze. We lined up and waited for our start as the fast boats were sent off to Halibut Bank.

Fast boats away!

Our division was started 3rd and we had set ourselves up on a nice reach running down the line and bearing away at the last second to cross the line and head out towards the strait. We had seen the previous fleet of boats that stuck close to Bowen sail into a wind hole and come to a dead stop. This worked out well and there was a tight pack of division 5 and 6 boats jocking for position as we headed out.

Now the first tactical decision came; when to bear away and raise the kite. We watched some of the boats with A-kites hoist them in short order and head in. With our symmetrical spinnaker this was not a very good option with the wind firmly on our beam. Finally our time came and the kite went up. The wind was variable and we found ourselves racing a head of boats a short distance to windward and leeward and then we were nearly becalmed watching the same boats race a head. In the end the course seemed to favour those who went out from the islands the most. The wind was very visible on the water and boats fought to stay in the wind chasing it in almost every conceivable direction.

We watched boats like LARK, CRYSTAL DOLPHIN, and VOLARE rounded the mark off Popham Island. Discouraged we doused and made our rounding. As we came around the wind finally started to fill into the 15 knots of Southeasterly that was predicted for earlier in the day. It was now a tacking dual. Division5 and 6 effectively were one tacking back and forth back to the start line. Some boats were sticking close to shore short tacking up the islands. Others were heading out on long tacks out in the strait. We opted for the middle road sticking out more than being in. It was working for us beautifully. We gained major ground. We over took division 5 boats and maintained a healthy lead over VOLARE and MARBELLA.

The race was getting exciting. The boat was sailing beautifully. As we closed passage island we had a SNAFU with a jib sheet stuck in a cheek block. MARBELLA made their move and went into Howe Sound and tacked back out towards the finish line. CRYSTAL DOLPHIN had finished by now and LARK was about to cross after coming in from a long tack out into the strait. We now were trying to finish ahead of MARBELLA for line honours. As we got within 200 meters of the finish line the wind shifted to more of a Easterly and shut off. We coasted at a knot as MARBELLA closed to the line. We were on starboard and getting close to the committee boat at the North end of the line. MARBELLA was trying to sneak around at that point too. The gods smiled on the WEASEL however and we coasted over the line as MEARBELLA stalled and sat two boat lengths off the line. In fact they were unable to cross the line for another 20 minutes!

A sea weasel spotted on the dock at Snug Cove.


Darryl regales us with tales of how he dated Curtis's mom.

Following the race we sailed over to Bowen Island where D-Hog joined us. We sat at the pub and watched the Canucks lose. Following that we met up with CRYSTAL DOLPHIN and shared some beer and war stories. When the dust finally settled we woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and headed home.

Official Results