Lateef came and brought his girlfriend Monique. Both enjoyed the morning breeze in McCovey Cove before the racers arrived. David sailed his first time single handed and he did great. He would later give Jocelyn a ride, just to have a race with Team Ben/Jeffrey and Team Eli/Julia in their 303s. John and Alex had two fun races from one end of the Cove to the other and back. Thanks to our friends from SBYC, we had 95 hp powerboat support, driven by Charles and Jimme. We finished storing the boats the second before the hail started. We watched the following rain with a Guinness in our hands in cozy SBYC. Thank you all for a wonderful day!

Alex

Monique and Julia

Eli, Charles, Jocelyn in the South Beach Zodiac

Alex in the Aussie 900

A 2.3 dinghy was taken out of its winter hibernation, rigged and sailed all over the lake by Walter Delson and Rosie Blankenburg. They found the wind and made that puppy move!

Assisting with the set up and retrieval were Kristi and Alex Hruzewicz, Caroline Blankenburg, Ron Wallace, Greg Milano and Walter Delson. Alex instructed everyone on how to properly rig, sail, dock and safely move sailors in and out of the boat. Expert chase boat duty was supplied by Alex H. and Caronlne B. in an ecologically correct Coleman canoe [This is Berkeley, right?]. We ended the day with barbequed sausages (bangers to you, Yanks) and toasts to a wonderful sailing and biking day.
“Well done, indeed,!”, said baby H.!

Plans call for 3 boats to be fully rigged and ready to sail on future sailing days. We’ll be developing a schedule soon so get your name on our sailing days calendar by calling Ron. Otherwise, general questions will be answered and info cheerfully given by phoning Ron @ 510.436.4789 or e-mailing him at ron.wall@comcast.net.

By 1000 the dinghy dock held a dozen volunteers, sailors and boats on an active first Saturday of the month. March 3rd was the first day of a new plan: once a month, Volunteer Training. Extra sailors came out to sail with the new volunteers. In addition, were three students and their video equipment from the City College of San Francisco.

They came intent on making a video tape for their media class. They interviewed Commodore Cristina Rubke, asked the volunteers and sailors questions and watched and taped as the boats got rigged. Volunteers teaching volunteers. Later, the students and new volunteers motored around McCovey Cove in Raven, watching and taping the Saturday dinghy action. Sunday the students returned to sail
on a keel boat to tape BAADS and other traffic on the Bay.

Six new volunteers got instruction on how to rig the 3.03s and Liberties. They also sailed with seasoned sailors, some for the first time. We hope to see them all back to become seasoned sailors themselves in time.

On the Raven

Rigging a 3.03

The fun continues as Orion crews geared up for a couple of festive San Francisco Bay sailing excursions! Among the highlights. . .BAADS welcomes the NVC Group for an outing on the bay, kite surfers, Golden Gate passage in big wind, funny hats and a big birthday celebration at SBYC! To see pics of the action, just download/open the pdf link OrionsLogFeb11-12 and enjoy!

See you next time!

Ray Duran
BAADS, Orion

WL: How and when did you hear about BAADS?

Kristi: I heard about BAADS from friends about ten years ago, but I worked most weekends managing a cycling program for people with disabilities, so there was little time to become involved until about four years ago when I went back to school.  
Alex: I had heard about BAADS from Latitude 38, but didn’t get involved until I broke my back. I hesitated, thinking that it would involve a bunch of able-bodied people “helping” the disabled sailors, and was pleasantly surprised to find the complimentary abilities model. The commodore (Ed Gallagher at the time) was blind and he knew the keelboats inside and out — being able to recite which line was run without having to think about it. And the guy who ran the dinghy dock (Greg Williams) was a salty ex- construction worker who used a wheelchair. He knew his stuff. I was really impressed.

WL: Had you any previous sailing experience and what was your first day sailing with BAADS like?

Kristi: I spent a week sailing in Tonga, and was pretty sure an extended sail was in my future. Actually learning how to sail seemed like a reasonable first step, so I found my way to the dinghy dock to learn the basics.

Alex: My dad was an instructor for a youth sailing program where I grew up in Poland. So I had been around boats since I was 2. Before I got hurt, I raced regularly on the Bay, had done deliveries across the Atlantic and had my own J24. After I broke my back, I was afraid to sail by myself – - not knowing if I could depend on my body. I remember the first day I went out on a keelboat with Ed Gallagher and he told me about “Christ before Orange Juice” — which was the order in which the lines are run on the Raven (cunningham, boom vang, outhaul, jib furling sheets). Being blind, he wasn’t able to see where they ran, but he was actually able to tell which line was which faster than a sighted person who would look first. I was really impressed with how adaptive sailing can be.

WL: What is your disability? Which boats do you sail and how does that work for you?

Kristi: I’ve been paralyzed from the chest down since being thrown from the back of a motorcycle when I was twenty. I occasionally join BAADS on their keelboats, but I most like sailing dinghies. Racing isn’t my cup of tea, but I enjoy the camaraderie when everyone is out on the course and doing well together.

Alex: I have a titanium vertebra in my lumbar spine. With all the other hardware in there, on an X-ray it looks like I swallowed a wrench. Sometimes I have real trouble walking. Sometimes you can’t even tell. 
I love racing both dinghies and keelboats because I believe competing is the best way to improve your skill level. After a race, those who do well are usually very happy to share their knowledge — especially after you buy them a beer. But I also love cruising — on the Bay, in the Delta, in the tropics. My experience taught me that all those close quarter maneuvers you learned on the racecourse come in handy when you least expect it. You’ll also know when you can push your boat and when you can’t in heavy weather. Trying to round Point Conception from the South can be much like beating to the windward mark

WL: Can you talk a little about your Mexico sailing trip?

Kristi: In 2010, we sailed out of Berkeley on a seven-
month honeymoon down the coast to explore the sea
of Cortez. We owned Fjordmus, a Contessa 26, for a
year before leaving and spent the bulk of that time
sailing and getting to know the boat. The list of things we wanted to do before we left was long, and had we completed it, we’d still be here checking the list off and paying for everything. We finished what we felt were the basics and set off just before a nasty series of storms.

They made the next few months wet and exciting. After a couple of gales, leaks in the fuel line and the head and a fire in the galley, we found ourselves in Mexico just as a tsunami warning was issued. Without yet having stepped ashore, Alex pulled up the anchor and out into the deep blue we went until what ended up being an inconsequential wave has passed.
Alex had done a few Atlantic and Pacific crossings, but the longest I’d been on a boat was a week. But, I’m not sure any amount of sailing can prepare you for small boat sailing with your sweetie. In our six by eight foot space, I often felt like we were pieces in those small games that require shifting little tiles back and forth until they line up to make a picture. But just outside was a huge swimming pool and we had the foresight to bring two kayaks.

Alex: I second that. Take a relationship class or something in addition to a sailing class before you go. I bet a lot of couples that have sailed together would say the same thing. Conflict resolution skills come in real handy when you’re both stuck in a small space.
Still, Mexico was awesome: whales, jumping manta rays, small fishing villages, being able to catch dinner from a kayak in the morning and so much more that I could go on and on. And yes, you’re never quite done getting ready. It’s best to have a “shove-off” date and stick to it (which we did by a week or so). I ended hooking up our water-maker in San Diego even though I’d installed it 2 months before. I was stoked it ran. However, you’ll have time to tinker when you get out there. Whether you want to or not.

Kristi: My favorite part of the trip was the months spent between La Paz and Santa Rosalia on the island side of the Baja peninsula. The water was warm and the small communities along the way were a welcome change of scenery.

Alex: Now back on land, we run a small web design company, mettadog.com out of our home.

WL: What would you suggest to BAADS or SBYC to improve sailing or any of our operations?

Kristi: We like that BAADS and SBYC are becoming more integrated. Alex: I’m excited about the talks of BAADS expanding to other locations on the Bay. With America’s Cup, the timing couldn’t be better. I’d also love to see more racing. More cruises. I love how the Club evolved since I started. I think it’s heading in the right direction.

WL: Thank you Kristi and Alex for sharing your story. ~~~_/)~~~

Sunshine, blue skies and glorious mid-winter weather beckoned BAADS sailors to enjoy the best of the Bay! Among the recent adventures, Angel Island tropics, storming the Gate, roaring jets and a lively flute serenade!

To see pics of the action, just download/open the attached .pdf file and enjoy: OrionsLogJan15-Feb5.

See you next time!

Ray Duran
BAADS, Orion