Getting sailors out racing and cruising together on Southern Puget Sound since 1971.
April 12 – April 14, 2024.
Club cruise to Jarrell Cove State Park, hosted by Kim & Cindy Turver.
The dock has electricity, but no water. There is a pump-out dock. Campsites are available on shore.
You can always get out of Dana Passage on an incoming tide by playing the back eddies on the southern shore. You can always get into Dana Passage on an ebb tide by hugging the north shore along Harstine Island.
Cruise Report will be posted here after the event!
The weather forecast showed the rain and wind ending on Friday morning with a promise of clear skies for the weekend. Jim and Dee Larsen (TYA), Bill and Cathy Velez (Karen Ann) and Jim Findley (Night Wind) arrived on Friday in a light breeze that was only sailed by Night Wind. The first night was an opportunity for getting reacquainted with old friends and sharing sailing stories. 
The forecast changed sometime in the night. The wind was gusting in the 15 to 20 knot range by 3 AM and the morning forecast now called for clear skies and breezy conditions (10 to 20 knots) for the remainder of the day Saturday. Debra Glasser (Liberte’) and crew arrived Saturday afternoon and reported that the winds were too high and in a bad direction for comfortable sailing.
Jim Findley took advantage of the windy marina by sailing his radio controlled model Laser sailboat as the winds whipped through the marina from the north. Dee Ann and Cathy worked on a jig saw puzzle that is a map of the San Juan Islands.
Two additional boats attempted the trip and turned back when they experienced mechanical issues. Yvonne Fish and her crew ended up anchoring at Gull Harbor near Burfoot Park where a friend met them with transmission fluid. Alan Hoffman also had engine trouble, and his boat was sailed back into the marina in the skillful hands of Meredith Anderson. Alan and his crew joined us by car. Loren Ferro also drove out to participate in the festivities.
The award for the best decorated boat went to Liberte’. Runner-up for best decorated boat was Night Wind, with a special commendation for the most creative use of pumpkins. 
Loren Ferro won for best costume and for best carved pumpkin. (I understand she shared one of her prizes with Meredith who was runner up in the pumpkin carving contest.) The trivia contest focused on place names in south Puget Sound. We had two winners who scored 100%: Jim Findley and Wendy Ekland.
~ Jim Larsen, Cruise Chair
I was unable to make it to the cruise at Jarrell Cove, but Dave Brooks stepped up and provided the following roll-up of the weekend. Sounded like a great turnout even though activity might have been limited due to COVID restrictions. It’s good to see the club getting together out on the water despite all that is happening.
This is Dave’s take on the weekend:
I began the weekend leaving Swantown Marina at 5pm Friday with a planned over night anchor in Coon Cove on Squaxin Island. Woke up Saturday morning to a very clear but tranquil setting, then a thin layer of fog set in. By 11am we had weighed anchor and started motoring through Dana passage. The water was smooth with no wind in sight. As we entered into Case Inlet we enjoyed spotting porpoise rising and diving around the boat. By now the skies were clear, the sun was out, and we were rewarded with spectacular views of the Olympic mountains – but still no wind in sight.
When we pulled into the dock at Jarrell Cove State Park we were greeted by the captain and crew of the s/v Fairwind, Cabot and Kim and there four-legged crew member Minion. Also greeting us was the captain and crew of the yacht Soul Catcher, Barry and Gloria and Jim on s/v Nightwind. Soon to arrive was the s/v Noel, captained by Darris and Joleen. And later came the s/v Endurance skippered by Jim States. Along with Tami and I on Quest, we totaled six boats with crew representing South Sound Sailing Society. Saturday was a spectator day; the sun was out, and the skies were clear. A nice day to walk around the park, explore the shoreline and chat with other club members. Saturday night was quiet with each boat doing their own thing and hunkering down for a chilly night.
And then came Sunday. Sunday was raining when we left Jarrell Cove. As we motored out into Case Inlet the wind had picked up to 8-10 knots making the icy rain feel even colder as it pelted my storm jacket and gloves. The wind was, of course, blowing from the south; the direction we wanted to go. Needless to say, we didn’t feel like raising sails and beating into the wind so we motored back to Swantown to end a good wintertime weekend on the water.
~ Dave Brooks, s/v Quest
Halloween Cruise, 27-28 October 2018
Once again the Halloween Cruise was a big hit. Threatening weather over the weekend of 27-28 October didn’t keep 13 boats in the marina. Cruisers in attendance included:
Traveler (Scott Voltz, Connie Bunyer, and Noreen Light)
Iniki (Debbie Stewart and Kirk Sinclair)
Pax (Susan MacRae and Rod Tharp)
Liberte’ (Debra Glasser and friend Margaret)
Jolly Rumbalow (Sabra Hall, Richard Bigley, and Marti Walker)
Pleiades (Fran Williams and Marvin Young)
Grendel (John Sherman and Debra Nickerson)
Kind of Blue (Karen and Alan Hoffman)
Soul Catcher (Barry and Gloria James)
Tya (Jim and Dee Larsen, and Wandalou Clayton)
Fever (Jeff and Terry Hogan)
Isabella (Clark Jennings)
Gitana (Rick and Loren Ferro)
… and Cabot and Kim Rose, Jeff and Joy Johnson, and Mary Campbell – all who came by car.
The concept of Cracing (combining cruising and racing) was used to kick off the weekend. While tracking their own time, the boats made their way from the Olympia Shoal to Devil’s Head. Susan MacRae (on Pax) won the Most Potential for Racing award, Jeff Hogan was decreed the racer with Most Potential for Cruising (this was his first cruise in 19 years of membership), and Karen and Alan Hoffman won the NatGeo Award for persisting despite a sea lion attack.
Additional awards that night included:
Best Pumpkin Carving – Terry Hogan
Best Decorated Boat – Marvin and Fran
Best Costumes – Rick & Loren Ferro, and Noreen & Margaret
The weekend wrapped up with a waffle breakfast provided by Rod, Susan, and Marti.
SYC Hosted Cruise to the Oyster Festival, 6 October 2018
By Scott Voltz
Saturday October sixth, a flotilla of four departed Budd Inlet bound for Oakland Bay and the Shelton Yacht Club. Our route took us north to Hope Island then through the dreaded Hammersley Inlet, a transit fraught with danger: shoals, grey whales, fast currents, and twists and turns of the topography. Connie and myself on Traveler, a Passport 42, were chased out of Budd Inlet by Rick and Ada with Amanda as crew on Clara June, a Freeport 41. We arrived together at Hope Island at 13:45, halfway through the rising tide, timed so that if we ran aground in the narrow channel we’d soon float off.
We had a new chart plotter at the helm so I led our two boats towards the way-north entrance to Hammersley Inlet, avoiding the notorious Arcadia grounding. 30 feet off the Hungerford Point #2 red channel marker, we edged into Hammersley Inlet feeling our way with the depth sounder.
We transited around the north shoreline, hugging land closely. As Clara June rounded Cape Horn the VHF squawked as I announced, “Watch for the grey whale mid channel!” I pulled back the throttle and put her in neutral as I edged to the side of the channel in time to see a beautiful gray whale arcing out of the water on our starboard bow. It surfaced soon after off our port side then disappeared with a flip of the tail. We continued on … amazed.
Hammersley is like a river, with the channel first on one side then the other, following the contours of the land.
The current was running with us and soon we caught up with two other SSSS boats making their way west. Katie Braun, skippering WindWalker, had Dave Chance, Island Sailing Club instructor, aboard along with crew Doug Powell. Alongside was Neil Mink, sporting a very nice beard and single handling his Morgan 27 Nasty Jack. All together we were whisked westward at 8 knots, running with the current.
We encountered a minimum depth of 8 feet under our 6.5 foot keel at half tide as we headed toward Libby Point then Skookum Point to arrive at the final reach with good depth all the way into Oakland Bay and the Oakland Marina. I hailed the Shelton Yacht Club on channel 68 and got instructions to continue into the marina. Traveler led the way into the tight marina and found a starboard tie right at the gangway, just barely squeezing into our designated slot. We took Clara June to raft on our port side.
Soon afterward, Windwalker and Nasty Jack arrived and found space at the south dock. Already present was Barry and Gloria on Soul Catcher, a Maple Leaf 42, and Richard Bigley on his C&C Plus, Jolly Rumbalow. Now we had six SSSS boats present for the late afternoon appetizer pot luck in the spacious Shelton Yacht Club clubhouse. Thank you to whomever it was who brought the wonderful crab dip! The Shelton folks made us very welcome. Nice people.
Sunday we went to Oysterfest in a light drizzle and had a great time, eating way too many oysters, watching the shucking competitions, and listening to local music. Sunday night we had a little get together on Traveler and played music into the night. Monday, up at 0800, Traveler followed Clara June back down Hammersley, running with the current on a falling tide to get dumped into Pickering Passage with eddies, swirls, and upswellings pushing us on our way. We ate eggs and toast once we reached the relative safety of Squaxin Passage and Budd Inlet. Our transit time from Shelton to Oly Town was a mere 3 hours.
Would we do it again? Next year, you betcha! The secret is to hang out at the oyster shucking competition tent 30 minutes after the event to be there when the judges emerge with twelve heaping platters of oysters on the half shell looking for volunteers to consume them. Me! Me!
Commodore’s Cruise, September 16-17, Vaughn Bay
By Mary Campbell
The annual Commodores’ cruise was a low-key but convivial affair. It was strange not having the familiar bonfire, but the scarlet orb of the sun, and the overcast skies reminded us of the reason for the burn ban.
Boats attending included Sonrisa, R Time, Dreamer, Nightwind, Summer Breeze, Chronos and Isabelle. In evidence of the SSSS dual nature, Eric Egge and Leanne showed up (and showed off!) in his vintage runabout, Misty, while Gary and Megan Martin, former members of SSSS, made a special guest appearance in their powerboat Gadzooks M2. As cruise host, I came by car – after three weeks listening to Sonrisa’s engine, I decided she and I needed a break. Thanks to John Thompson and Fran Reisner who helped ferry coolers from my car to the potluck site!
The spit was slender when sailors began to dinghy in, but by the time the food was being served, the waters had retreated and left the dinghies high on the beach. We shared summer sailing experiences and admired the lines of Peter Crosson’s recent acquisition, the wooden ketch Dreamer (formerly owned by Glenn and Jayne Patrick). Here’s hoping we see Peter and Dreamer at many more cruises!
The next SSSS cruise will be to the Shelton Oysterfest. Turn on your depth sounder and join us on Saturday, October 6, as we navigate the shallows of Hammersley Inlet. If you are thinking about going, send an email to , and I will add you to the list with details about when and where the SSSS flotilla will meet on Saturday. Please let me know if you would be willing to act as cruise host!
Summer Solstice Cruise 16-17 June 2018
The Summer Solstice Cruise 16-17 June was unfortunately short-notice … but still awesome all the same. TYA (Jim and Dee Ann Larsen) rafted up with Mutable Fire (Rich Adams and son Aden) Friday evening for some seal watching and an absolutely amazing sunset in the Henderson Inlet.
A sunny Saturday morning was spent on lounging, reading, boat maintenance, new dinghy tryout, and some very poor fishing. We were able to avert a tragedy after Jim attempted some Thunderbird-type action by flying his drone between the rigging of the boats. NO DRONES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS CRUISE!
At midday, as the winds picked up slightly, it was decided to sail to Joemma State Park. A bit stalled and fitful in the beginning, the winds finally filled in and gave us a very comfortable sail the majority of the way.
After picking up mooring buoys, we ventured ashore (our first time there) to check out the facilities and campgrounds. The weather and location was beautiful … a definite return spot with the kids. That evening we put together an awesome potluck and played a spirited game of Texas Holdem. It was a gorgeous night, and Venus and Jupiter were clearly visible.
After breakfast on Sunday morning we all pitched in to use a favorable tide and the gangway leading up to the park to put spreader boots on Mutable Fire. I climbed the railing, Dee Ann helped hold the shrouds to the gangway, Aden maintained a dock line, and Jim used his dinghy as a tug to maneuver the boat. I managed not to fall to my death or get arrested so, all in all, a successful endeavor. Never a dull moment.
Rich Adams, s/v Mutable Fire
If you have photos you’d like to share with the club, please email the Webmaster with either a link to where the photos are stored (such as OneDrive, Flickr, etc.), or, if you have only a few photos, you can attach them to your email, either one by one, or as a .zip archive. Please be sure to tell us what event or race was photographed, the date, and who should be given credit for the photos.
Everyone arrived by sail to this year’s Spring Fling Cruise. Stiff and gusty winds drove all four boats to McMicken Island in short order No spars were lost, but a few stories were told. Vessels in attendance were Pleiades, Skye, Traveller, and Liberte. In deference to the breezy conditions on the cove and the marshy conditions ashore, dinner was held aboard the Pleiades. A good time was had by all.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Photos:
The Salty Sailor Cruise was another pleasant weekend spent on the water. After a run up and down Dana Passage on cooperative tides with steady winds, the Pleiades crew was joined by recent members Carlos, Georgia and Megan on Full Moon. Commodore Campbell lent a hand on the Full Moon’s trip to and from Raccoon Cove and spent an anchorage-worry free night aboard the Pleiades.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Island Home Cruise in January was a pleasant weekend with an island flavor. A mix of SSSS and OYC sailing boats attended, including Nightwind, Passages, Grendel, and Cygnet. We want to thank OYC for hosting us.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
photos by Mike Gowrylow
Joyce facing a jenga pile right before it came crashing down.
Susan Hardin won/lost the Lei contest and had to wear all the leis. Mark Welpman officiated.
Pleiades warmly welcomed a handful of shore-based guests to Percival Landing’s F-dock. A pleasant time was had by all. On New Year’s morning, Fran and I took the medium-long way home; motoring out to the Olympia Shoal and riding a stiff and chilly Northeasterly back home to the marina.
A quiet but earnest group of 17 SSSS cruisers showed up at Tugboat Annies on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the 2016 annual SSSS Wine Tasting and Bottle Judging Cruise. Stories were told. Bottles were judged and preparations were made to present the contestant displays for the SSSS December Food Bank Benefit auction. Commodore Campbell’s sculptured Ariel display deservedly received both First Place at the November Cruise and the Peoples’ Choice award at the December potluck. Ariel brought top dollar at the auction, helping SSSS deliver another $12,000 donation to the Thurston County Food Bank.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Another spooky season has come and gone. Costumes were donned, gourds were disemboweled. A good time was had by all. 16 boats made it to Longbranch Marina this year, with 36 partiers attending. The weather was pleasant, with just barely sailable SSW breezes providing just enough reason to unfurl jibs and raise mains for an hour or two. There was just enough rain to remind sailors of last years� torrents, and to provide some real pretty rainbows. Mt. Rainier highlighted the sunsets and sunrises in the clear air. Photos were taken, some of which are posted on the SSSS Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/SSSSClub and on the SSSS website.
Throughout Saturday, as cruisers drifted, motored, in. Stern to docking methods were perfected, boats were toured and stories were told. The pleasant weather kept SSSS Sailors out on the docks and on the decks. Crews scrambled around their cockpits setting up for the boat decoration competition to take place that evening.
Sunday brought a big breakfast, headlined by another of Susan and Rod�s famed raised-batter Belgian waffles extravaganza. Fair, though light, Northerlies gently eased Olympians� journey south and home.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Shelton Yacht Club�s Oysterfest invitation to SSSS cruisers is becoming a traditional early-season bonus Cruise. The 6.5 NM motor through winding and narrow Hammersley Inlet is a unique not-to-be missed South Sound adventure. It is sort of like taking an autumn motorcycle ride along a hilly, leaf-strewn two-lane highway. It is real pretty, but you’ve got to watch the road!
For yours truly, the journey began off Hope Island a couple of hours before low tide on Saturday morning. Trying to thread the itinerary needle between a sunrise departure and a post lunch arrival, I decided on a rendezvous of 1000 off Hope Island. We arrived promptly at 1000 to find Martin and Susan Raphael on Terra Nova and Mike and Margie Carlson on Dawn Cloud ready to get going. After waiting a few minutes to see if any surprise, and more Hammersley-seasoned, cruisers my round a point, we decided to race the falling tide sooner rather than later.
Martin kindly offered the services of his Navionics-charted course and and 6.5 foot draft to break the trail for Dawn Cloud and Pleiades and we started up stream toward Shelton.
We arrived at SYC after a long, slow uphill ride spiced with a proper downpour as Saturday’s cloudburst rolled over us. The weather cleared a bit after docking. Fran and I decided to brave the weather at Sanderson Field and take in Oysterfest proper. There was plenty of space on the shuttle. There were a surprisingly large number of people at the Fest. We dodged a cloudburst by dashing in to the wine-tasting tent and enjoyed surprisingly good, loud, straight-ahead Rock ’en Roll in the beer garden.
Along the way we met up with a pair of boaters who decided not to push the tide and came in on Friday; Jim and Diana Findley in Nightwind and Nick and Gail Wigen in Ursa Minor. Kyle Reese-Casal and family also came by in Carpy their 22’ C-Dory.
On our return to the clubhouse SYC had set up snacks, opened an open bar and organized a Bunko dice tournament. The following morning, we were regaled with a great eggs and hashbrowns breakfast and joined in the benefit raffles. Thank-yous were exchanged all around and invitations were forwarded for cruises to come.
Thank you to Linda Shrum and the Shelton Yacht Club for their invitation and hospitality!
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Location: Vaughn Bay
Over now.
Marvin Young, Pleiades
Race/Cruise to Narrows Marina
We were doing 6 to 6.5; knots in a close reach in the sunshine approaching Toliva Shoal. Enough to make any SSSS racer’s heart beat faster. Even though this wasn’t the Toliva Shoal Race, it still felt good to be out in that area with some nice wind for a change. I looked back South and saw a sailboat near the South end of Anderson, still in the doldrums. We found out later that it was Nauti Dog and shortly after that they also got into the good wind.
This was the MacLean Memorial Race/Cruise and we joined in, representing the cruisers. Since we started from Jarrells Cove, only sailed about half the way and took the short cut through Balch Passage, we weren’t actually racing, just enjoying a very nice day.
After arriving at the marina, we got our slip sorted out and settled back for a rest and a beer. About an hour later Nauti Dog, with Michael Farley and his crew Rob, came into the marina and eventually settled into the slip next to us. I tried to explain to them that we were actually racing but they couldn’t be convinced since they knew there was no one else doing the correct course. Which of course makes Nauti Dog the winner of the MacLean Memorial Race/Cruise, and good for them because I know that they spent at least two hours near Nisqually Reach, just sitting there drifting while we had good wind on the North side of Anderson.
I had enticed Diana to go on this Cruise by telling her that there was a very nice restaurant near the marina. Thank goodness it turned out that I didn’t lie. We had a very enjoyable dinner at the Boathouse 19. One thing: if you stay at the Narrows Marina it would be best if you like the sound of trains. If you live there I suppose you’d get used to it after a while.
Sunday was not a sailing day. Michael left about 0700 to catch the good incoming tide. We left about 0900 and caught the tail end of it and had to motor all the way back to Jarrells Cove. Even so, it was a beautiful weekend to be on the water.
Jim Findley, Nightwind
An oft-repeated axiom faults recorded history for being written only by the winners. That fault is unavoidable in the description of the 2016 Maclean Memorial Race; I was the only Member to participate in the race and the only witness to the entire event.
Choosing to believe the weather forecasts, the triumph of hope over experience, I eagerly anticipated riding a ten knot beam wind from Johnson Point down to the foot of Anderson Island. The fact that winds were light at the beginning, Nauti Dog only crossed the start line at 0902, wasn’t discouraging since that was somewhat in accord with the forecast. Unfortunately, the winds continued to be very light the rest of the way to Johnson Point.
We had a nice conversation with a guy on a paddle board off Boston Harbor. He suggested that if we wanted to continue watching the pod of dolphins, who were apparently chasing a school of salmon, we could steer off toward Eld Inlet where he’fd seen them last. We thanked him for the information, but explained that we were in a race. He looked around and, not seeing any other sailboats, paddled nervously away from the two obviously-deranged characters in the sailboat. But I digress.
We reached the short course line off Johnson Point at 1150 and, following race directions, duly recorded the time and the fact that there were no boats ahead of us and none that were identifiable behind. Lacking any other activity, other than bringing the main around for the occasional change from wing-on-wing to broad run, I calculated our average course speed so far: 2.6 knots. Had it not been for the ebb current, our speed would have undoubtedly been even less.
My somewhat Micawberish faith in the wind prediction was rewarded by a brief and refreshing increase in wind from Johnson Point past the entrance to Drayton Passage, but once we began the run toward Nisqually Reach, with Anderson Island on our port side, the wind slacked off yet again and we resumed alternating between wing-on-wing and a broad run from either port or starboard. Experimenting with various jibes and sail positions, I concluded that the mainsail was actually detracting from the boat’fs performance by shadowing the 163 Genoa, so I furled the main and was at least able to maintain an uninterrupted run.
About a mile from Lyle Point, we began to pick up a good breeze coming off the Nisqually Delta. That provided a refreshing beam reach until we made the turn up channel toward the finish line and changed to a broad reach. This lasted until we were past the entrance to Oro Bay at which point the wind shifted toward the West, eventually giving us five miles of a glorious close reach which put Nauti Dog over the finish line at her maximum hull speed.
Crossing the finish line at Toliva Shoal at 1544, we had completed the course with an average speed of almost exactly three knots. Finishing at all was probably less a result of seamanship skills than a tolerance for frustration, plus a certain amount of “there’s got to be pony in here somewhere” optimism.
Later that evening, the participating race skippers, me, held a meeting with Race Chair, Jeff Johnson, and we arrived at a consensus decision that because Sunday was predicted to have mostly adverse currents and little if any wind, that the race would be called as of Saturday’s finish. Also considered was the fact that Nauti Dog was the only participating boat and, therefore, even if we were to continue the following day, the final standings were unlikely to change.
That decision was validated the next morning in that the water between Toliva Shoal and Balch Passage, or at least what small portion of it could be seen between fog banks, was calm and glassy.
On several occasions, Jeff asked the question as to what alternative courses might restore the Club’s participation in the Maclean Memorial. It’s a question that I think deserves inputs from many more of the Members. On my part, I have to wonder if the lack of participation is not as much a function of course layout as it might be from staging the race at a time of year in which winds have proven to be unreliable. It may be worth considering moving the race either forward or backward by two months.
Mike Farley, Nauti Dog
photos by: Jim Findley and Mike Farley