Spreaders, Smiles and Straight Courses

Friday morning’s lesson:  the “pop” in stainless steel pop rivets can be tough.  Very Tough!  The afternoon served up an opportunity for more Mission Beacon kids smiles outside the cove, in the “flats” and under the new Bay Bridge.

broken spreaderLate last year we lost a spreader on one of our J/24’s.  Friday offered up an opportunity to remove old brackets and install new ones complete with an updated “through-mast” spreader bar. Drilling out old rivets was easy; removing the brackets went without a hitch.

Installing the new brackets using 16 3/16 x 3/4  stainless pop rivets not so easy. The rivets took serious pressure to get them to “pop”.  I was able to do so using a combination “double wrist grip” plus “brace the gun on the mast and push” approach. Took more time than expected.

If anyone has suggestions on better approach let me know.  Although both guns were on the “aged” side they’ve worked fine on recent jobs using aluminum rivets.

Ten middle-school students from San Francisco Beacon Initiative showed up at 2pm.  The wind was cranking nicely so Philip and I decided to pass on a bay sail and treat the kids and two advisors to close up views of the large buoys and barges in the flats, underneath views of the new Bay Bridge and opportunity to see the Alameda cranes loading a container ship.

Friends Under New Bay Bridge     Afternoon Sun at our Backs

Angel Island BackgroundJ/24’s are great platforms for such cruises.  On our boat the two favorite spots were hanging out on (but not over) the bow and driving.  Everyone took a turn at both.  I was also reminded of the origins of the Star Wars battle bots by one of our guests (you’ve heard that story, right)?An Inspiration for Star Wars BattlebotEyes on the Bay

Focusing on where we were heading and keeping steady course was challenging for some, natural for others.  While a minor lesson compared to the goal setting, teamwork, communications and leadership taught as key elements of our summer youth program, these Everett Middle School students enjoyed their time with us and drove straight courses.  Something about being On the Cove and away from city distractions, I guess.

Focused Driving

Our programs staff is always on the alert for volunteers to help with orientation sails like the one above.  If you would be willing to help out call the office and get your name on our volunteer driving list. 

Regards from On the Cove, Dave G

In the wake:

Link to Volunteer Opportunities at TISC: HERE

Call the TISC office to discuss volunteer opportunities: 415.421.2225

 

Historic Sunsail Afternoon with Mission Beacon Center Kids

Friday was literally a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Sharing five Sunsail First 40’s with 25 Mission Beacon Center kids: awesomeWatching the space shuttle Endeavour fly over Angel Island and Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Mason hill: historic.

 

Treasure Island Sailing Center works in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families to provide on-the-water options for learning life’s lessons on Clipper Cove.  Sunsail’s San Francisco operations in Sausalito provided both programs with a sunny, breezy two-hour sail on San Francisco bay in brand new First 40’s, made possible by five professional sailors who donated their afternoon.

Mission Beacon Center, part of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative and one of many SFDCYF programs, uses the Everrett Middle School as a center of activity for surrounding neighborhoods. TISC supports thier programs with sailing lessons and after school activities.

 

My job Friday afternoon, along with four volunteers from the Cal Sailing Team, was to work as an on-the-water host and crew aboard the Sunsail First 40’s (OK, not really a job; more like a super opportunity to sail cool new boats, teach kids about sailing and water safety, and hang out on SF Bay !).  Of course the bonus was the one-day delay in Endeavour’s visit to the Bay Area announced on Wednesday; I simply took the 7:45 bullet train from San Jose and hung out at Fort Mason for the fly-over, then pedaled over to Pier 40 for our 2pm sail.

These 25 kids and 5 chaperones would not have had this opportunity without the gracious support from Sunsail’s Sausalito General Manager Travis Lund who along with fellow sailors Charlie Bogue, George Fay, Jim Hancock and Ted Thornton donated their Friday afternoon and the Cal Sailing volunteers Katelynn Wiley, Martin Gibson,  Michael Lebow, and Saul Rosen.

From On The Cove (on this voyage from Pier 40), Dave G

In the wake: Here’s a few more pictures from our awesome, historic day on the bay.

Endeavour Over North Tower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our captain Ted Thornton arrives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safety briefing before loading

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side by side heading toward Angel Island

 

 

 

 

 

AC 45 Prada up close

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7+ knots VMG heading toward Angel Island

 

 

 

 

Everyone got to drive a Sunsail First 40