Desert Sea - New Mexico and Southwestern Sailing: September 2010

Excellent question

Sailing Anarchy, in describing the wonderful thing that team Mascalzone Latino is doing by creating a sailing center for kids and the public in Naples, Italy, asked,

"Where is the BMW/Oracle sailing center?"

They also rightly pointed out that yacht clubs are only relevant to a relatively small number of sailors, with sailing centers, clubs, and schools being where sailing can reach out well to the general public, youth, and other new sources of sailors.

So, one more time, especially all you folks on the Left Coast, in unison:

"Where is the BMW/Oracle sailing center?"

Arizona Rubber Dam Update

Some sailors who follow this blog or my FB page have heard the story of the Great Imploding Rubber Dam. Tempe Town Lake, which has a sailable area of about 800 feet by most of a mile, and perhaps 10-12 feet deep, is a small impoundment of the Salt River adjacent to Arizona State University and under the flight path for Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. It is restricted generally to sailing dinghies and paddlecraft and the home to the Arizona State sailing team, which Gerald has the helm of this year.

Unfortunately, one of the inflatable rubber dams that hold the water (both upstream and downstream because of the flat valley) failed a few months ago and the lake became a mud bog overnight. The harsh Arizona climate and lack of water flowing over the dams seems to have contributed to premature failure. Replacement dams have been ordered and most of them have arrived; the powers that be expect the lake to be re-filled by the first of November. If the fourth dam does not arrive in the mail soon enough (and people don't blow hard enough to inflate it?), a coffer dam will be built in front of its place.

In the mean time, the ASU team has started practices at a small impoundment a few miles away in south Scottsdale, McKellips Lake, as well as at the much larger but more distant Lake Pleasant. Unfortunately, neither lake has facilities in place for getting handicapped sailors on boats. But, the team is also looking forward to sailing in San Diego (Mission Bay) in a few weeks.

Other good news is that the team has someone (with impressive sailing experience) interested in being a volunteer coach. And Gerald is looking for the team to get its own burgee or "battle flag".

Quiet on the Waterfront

Not much exciting has been happening on our waterfront; with our truck/boat launching vehicle under repair and other distractions, we've lagged sorrily behind in time on the water. That should change soon and I've already resolved to spend much more time on the water in 2011.

In the meantime, Gerald has been doing a good bit of sailing in Arizona in spite of the catastrophic failure and emptying of Tempe Town Lake. The Arizona State University sailing team has been improvising practices at McKellips Lake, a very small body of water in south Scottsdale. They've also just spent the weekend racing with the Arizona Yacht Club folks at Lake Pleasant this weekend, and will be journeying to San Diego, California (Mission Bay) in a few weeks. Also encouraging are a bunch of new members who've joined their team and support for a possible future collegiate sailing regatta in Arizona.

Speakin o' Pyra-sea, mateys....

And while knotical folks still be talking somewhat lyke Pyrats, ye should know we just received the ransom note for our land crusin' boat, the Expedition. Many digits are involved, mateys, yet we must pay or not be able to sailin' the boundin' main this weekend.

Poetic Pyrats

From the Pirates of Penzance:

The Pirate King:

Oh, better far to live and die
Under the brave black flag I fly,
Than play a sanctimonious part,
With a pirate head and a pirate heart.
Away to the cheating world go you,
Where pirates all are well-to-do;
But I’ll be true to the song I sing,
And live and die a Pirate King.

For I am a Pirate King!
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King!

For I am a Pirate King!
Chorus.
You are!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
King.
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King.
Chorus.
It is!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
King & Chorus.
Hurrah for the/our Pirate King!

When I sally forth to seek my prey
I help myself in a royal way.
I sink a few more ships, it’s true,
Than a well-bred monarch ought to do;
But many a king on a first-class throne,
If he wants to call his crown his own,
Must manage somehow to get through
More dirty work than ever I do,

For I am a Pirate King!
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King!

For I am a Pirate King!
Chorus.
You are!
Hurrah for the Pirate King!
King.
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King.
Chorus.
It is!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
King & Chorus.
Hurrah for the/our Pirate King!