Ever since “Dreamer” was off to Erie PA and “Malabar X” to Barcelona Spain, a dream to one day see a John G Alden design in Buffalo has been lingering on the horizon of Sail Buffalo. Just recently we received a letter from a shipwright in Barcelona (!) down in Lake Erie asking if we would be interested in purchasing “Clara Brown” a John G Alden design no 872, originating from 1952 when it was made in Maine.
Needless to say- it was only a question of hours until we were down in the hangar at Barcelona Marina where she was. How often is it that you look at something and feel as if time stands still? You can feel as if you are back in time, to when the boat was done, and you can sense the happiness of the first owner and of everyone after him, when just sitting inside the cabin, watching how she has been taken care of, owner by owner, year after year.
Thanks to our member No 1, Giles Kavanagh, this vessel has now found a new home, and we plan on proudly display her inside the Naval Cove at the Commercial Wharf. A historic docking for a historic vessel!
The 28th of May a full crew consisting of myself plus Chris (LittleWally) and Nick (WallyWorld) plus D.J we shall sail her back to Buffalo’s Inner Harbor. It will be a long journey, range 100 miles, possibly 10-12 hours,
maybe even an overnight.
For many of Buffalo’s waterfront visitors, it was a memorable moment when Amistad visited us several years ago. Over 100,000 visitors in just a few days.
We organized a small fleet of boats, school children were on-board, it was an amazing experience. Our hope is that this floating good will ambassador will assist in opening up the relations between the Cubans and ourselves.
Sail Buffalo would love to open an affiliate sailing school anytime the opportunity would present itself and the circumstances would allow it.
If you are an ASA Student, or a Club-Member or Family, we offer a very generous Referral Fee to you if you refer a new student to us. Please call 716-432-6589 or email info@sail-buffalo.com for details.
We can also offer Payment Plans for qualified candidates. Let’s discuss what you needs are, and see if we can get you out there in the boating community. Start your life long dream now, nothing to wait for, just do it!
We have the quality boats, a convenient location downtown Buffalo, accredited certifications and a really friendly team of instructors and members, you are invited to come down and check out the boats for yourself.
The Australian, 16-year-old, Jessica Watson just finished her solo sailing around the world, nonstop and unassisted. Yesterday she finally arrived in Sydney, her home port, after 210 days and more than 23.000 nautical miles sailing.
She have chosen a route that is a traditionally recognized path and distance for ‘around the world sailors’. As this is a Southern Hemisphere voyage the significant landmarks are the southern tips of the American and African continents, as well as some of the most challenging oceans a sailor will ever face.
Congratulations Jessica !
Jessica Watson will get her name in the Guinness Book as the youngest Ever, Solo Around the World Sailing Voyage.
Check her Route:
Departing from Sydney, heading to North to the Line Island,
In record wind with gusts over 60 MPH the boats stayed by the dock and we were inside the Naval Museum
until 1 PM. Thank you to our members/friends, students and visitors who defied the nature and came down to the waterfront on such a day!
It just once again reemphasize that without any building space, which functions as a foul weather shelter, its very difficult to hold any predictable schedule by the shoreline.
For visitors, please come back, you have a rain-check for a Friday Night Sail at no cost.
For those of you who already have the ASA 101 and who wants to join the boat share program, I promise the weather will be much better soon, so join anytime you feel ready to do so.
Enjoy the pictures attached, many more events and happenings will follow as the weather changes.
Every sailor hopes he will never need to say those three words. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”, but you need to be prepared in case you find yourself in a situation you need to send a distress call to the Coast Guard.
The proper way to send a distress call:
You may only have seconds to send a distress call. Here’s what you should do:
Procedure for VHF Channel 16 MAYDAY:
If you have an MF/HF radiotelephone tuned to 2182 kHz, send the radiotelephone alarm signal if one is available. If you have a VHF marine radio, tune it to channel 16. Unless you know you are outside VHF range of shore and ships, call on channel 16 first.
Distress signal “MAYDAY”, spoken three times.
The words “THIS IS”, spoken once.
Name of vessel in distress (spoken three times) and call sign or boat registration number, spoken once.
Repeat “MAYDAY” and name of vessel, spoken once.
Give position of vessel by latitude or longitude or by bearing (true or magnetic, state which) and distance to a well-know landmark such as a navigational aid or small island, or in any terms which will assist a responding station in locating the vessel in distress. Include any information on vessel movement such as course, speed and destination.
Nature of distress (sinking, fire etc.).
Kind of assistance desired.
Number of persons onboard.
Any other information which might facilitate rescue, such as length or tonnage of vessel, number of persons needing medical attention, color hull, cabin, masks, etc.
The word “OVER”
Stay by the radio if possible. Even after the message has been received, the Coast Guard can find you more quickly if you can transmit a signal on which a rescue boat or aircraft can home.
For example:
MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY
THIS IS BLUE DUCK-BLUE DUCK-BLUE DUCK WA1234
MAYDAY BLUE DUCK
CAPE HENRY LIGHT BEARS 185 DEGREES MAGNETIC-DISTANCE 2 MILES
STRUCK SUBMERGED OBJECT
NEED PUMPS-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND TOW
THREE ADULTS, TWO CHILDREN ONBOARD
ONE PERSON COMPOUND FRACTURE OF ARM
ESTIMATE CAN REMAIN AFLOAT TWO HOURS
BLUE DUCK IS THIRTY TWO FOOT CABIN CRUISER-WHITE HULL-BLUE DECK HOUSE OVER
Repeat at intervals until an answer is received.
Procedure for Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Radio: DSC MAYDAY
Here some additional information about the Coast Guard in our region
Ninth Coast Guard District
Group Buffalo
1Fuhrmann Blvd.
Buffalo NY 14203-3189
Plastiki is a catamaran constructed with 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. Her crew embarked (20 March) in a 100-day eco-mission from San Francisco to Sydney. Their objective: witness some of the most devastating waste accumulation on our planet composed mostly of plastic.
Hi- decided to show you this action filled snippet on how fast a sailing boat goes when the wind is strong and the crew is experienced looks like. This is of course not something we practice on our courses, we would not expose any beginner for something that may be considered as scary, compare this demonstration of skills to when skiers go down hill very fast. Our teaching is done in a way more relaxed way, and in not so strong wind conditions.
Some people like the thrill of hard wind, some people don’t, we are all different, and that is good. I enjoyed talking with a formerly very active Hobie Cat sailor the other day at the marina, when he was telling me about the local Hobie Fleet. I had no idea they are that many, up to 40 active sailors, and they have their fleet along the shoreline in Angola this year. He was telling me about the wind conditions he like to sail in, and you guessed it, the more and harder that wind blows, the happier this guy is.
To teach a beginner, you must start build skills step by step, in sequences. Our first lesson is very relaxed, just us by they dockside, talking about all the different things on the boat and what everything does and why.
So don’t let above movie scare you, but think of it as extreme sailing, something the very experienced can do, after many years of hard practice.
For anyone who would like to know what a tall ship is and what kind of financial impact they may have upon arrivals to various ports, here is a small but interesting film. Why is this posted on my blog?
Please reflect on the fact that water connects Coastal Cities, Buffalo is a Coastal City. Floating ambassadors are excellent good-will makers. We need more international collaboration. Learning by doing is an excellent way of gaining knowledge.
