Tag: 1993 Catalina 270

Sailor Andy Schwenk

Catching up with sailor Andy Schwenk & our first splash of the summer

On By David BranbyIn On The Water, Ports Of Call, Splendido2 Comments

I got a note from my high school pal Pam last week that her brother, sailing legend Andy Schwenk, was going to be joining Rick Raduziner — owner of the Santa Cruz 27, Lickety Split — to compete in the 2024 Santa Cruz 27 National Championships at Lake Tahoe July 12-14. Andy was a couple of years behind me in high school in Anacortes, WA and I had the good fortune to sail with him and his dad, Dr. Walter Schwenk, aboard the iconic Santa Cruz 33, Ajax, back in the day.

Andy’s been afloat pretty much his whole life, and has chalked up 54 trips across the Pacific to Hawaii and back while racing in the Victoria to Maui, Transpac and Pacific Cup competitions. Professionally, Andy is a marine surveyor, rigging expert, delivery skipper and Port Captain of the Richmond Yacht Club in the Bay Area. Andy made headlines a few years ago when he developed necrotizing fasciitis from a minor ankle scrape after the 2022 Pacific Cup race. A few days into the return voyage, Andy had to be transfered to a passing tanker and later airlifted to the mainland, where he spent a month at Stanford hospital while a team of physicians worked to save his leg.

I drove up to Tahoe Yacht Club last Friday to see if I could find Andy after the skipper’s meeting, and recognized him instantly. We visited for a few minutes before he and Rick dashed off to prep the boat for the race. With high pressure hanging over the Tahoe basin, winds were light and shifty, and Lickety Split managed a respectable 5th out of a dozen boats.

The day before, Debbie and I snuck up for a wonderful afternoon sail in 12-15 knot winds to Sugar Pine State Park, where we dropped the hook in about 14 ft. and both went swimming for the first time this year. The water was about 70º F. at the surface, so we dove in and splashed around a bit before climbing back aboard to dry off under the shade of our makeshift “bimini.” The winds dropped off to just a breath later in the evening, so we took a leisurely motor along the shoreline looking at all the lovely homes and boats as the sun lowered in the sky. After all the wrenching on the boat earlier this year — including replacing the hard-to-find Lucas alternator just last week — it felt like we’d finally settled into our summer groove. We’re looking forward to more. Until then …

Fair winds! DB

Just Add Water

On By David BranbyIn Commissioning & De-commissioning, Keeping Up Appearances, Mechanical Stuff, SplendidoLeave a comment

We launch Splendido in three days, and the past six weeks have been a whirlwind of activity getting her prepped for the Tahoe sailing season. The theme this spring was, “OK, what really needs to be addressed on a well-loved 31-year old sailboat that has seen lots of use? Fortunately, my mechanical-genius pal Ancil Sigman had plenty of suggestions, as you’ll see below.

The things I intended to fix in the off-season:

  • Make a better rope with knots in it to pull up the swim ladder.

The things Ancil heartily encouraged me (and tirelessly helped me) to fix in the off-season:

  • We pulled out every inch of the original (but significantly corroded) battery cables and replaced them with beefier, brand-spankin’ new cabling, all nicely heat-shrinked, from the battery bank to the panel to the engine, inverter, etc.
  • Upgraded the boat trailer with new running lights, from hitch to taillights.
  • Pulled out two bent lifeline stanchions, straightened them, then properly re-bedded and reinstalled them.
  • Replaced all the lifelines on the boat.
  • Removed the cabin windows that were popping up (hey, 31 years is a pretty good run), re-glued them with 3M VHB tape, and scraped/re-caulked all the windows on the boat.
  • Completely rebuilt the Whale Galley Gusher pump with a new service kit (way, way harder and less intuitive than it sounds). First clue: The schematic they provide was way too low-rez to be helpful, and nothing on YouTube™ showed how to do it properly. Even the factory’s customer service lady gave us the wrong instructions. In the end, I had to call on Perplexity.ai to finally spit out the right way to do it.
  • While the icebox pump was out, I sanded, cleaned and re-fiberglassed the area under the stove with a couple layers of cloth. Turned out great. 
  • Also laid in some fiberglass cloth and epoxy on the stern shower fixture door, which had cracked with age. It looks pretty good now with a little gel coat added.
  • Replaced every seacock on the boat with new Forespar® Marelon™ seacocks. This took a ton of work because the handles don’t come off of the new ones, so you have to grind out the cabinetry in the tight spaces so you can screw the new seacocks onto the thru-hulls.
  • Replaced the cheap CDI plastic furling drum cover that broke after only two seasons (are you listenin’, CDI?) with a proper metal replacement drum cover which should have been standard issue to begin with. (Replacing this was a major pain).
  • Since the mast was down on sawhorses, we took the opportunity to service it from tip to base, checking the sheaves, fasteners, spreaders, boots, wiring, lights, etc. Ancil rigged a gypsum-board lifter to help get the 200-lb. mast back up on the boat. Thank you, Ancil!
  • Checked the steering cables looking for fishhooks (there weren’t any — whew!).
  • Tried to remove the pinkish stain around the port-side Splendido logo that happened the winter we kept the boat on the hard up at Obexer’s. Tried four or five coats of oxalic acid, several fiberglass cleaning products, Soft Scrub … nothing worked. At best, I got it to lighten maybe 15% or so. Dang.
  • Applied gel coat to nicks on the transom and elsewhere in the cabin, then wet-sanded it and polished it up.
  • Removed all the original curtains in the boat, soaked them in OxyClean and mild washing soap, re-sewed the hook-and-loop parts that had come undone, and re-attached them. They look great.
  • Removed old epoxy spills in the cabin and on deck.
  • Used 3M 4200 to glue down the bilge pump and float switch in bilge. Also, finally wired the bilge pump properly to the panel so it operates automatically and manually as well.
  • Touched up the bottom paint with blue Total Boat Krypton.
  • Put 4-5 coats of PolyGlo (amazing stuff!) on the hull, and now she looks great.

I never did get around to making a better swim ladder rope.

After some rest, I’m looking forward to a relaxing summer of fair winds and smooth sailing! DB

A fond look back at a (mostly) serene sailing season at Lake Tahoe

On By David BranbyIn Food & Drink, On The Water, SplendidoLeave a comment

It’s funny what you remember when looking back on a sailing season. The thought that most occupied my mind last season was, “OK, are those five new thru-hulls I installed last spring going to stay watertight?” In the end, they worked out just fine, as did the new cutlass bearing (much quieter motoring than in all the previous years we’d owned Splendido) and the “drill-and-fill” repairs to the cabin roof. On the happy side, Debbie and I felt very fortunate that we did not experience the busy fire season locally like much of the rest of North America, so it was a summer of blue skies and ideal wind conditions, which opened up opportunities to explore other parts of Tahoe.

One memorable but somewhat regrettable experience I had was sailing south to Camp Richardson on a busy weekend in August. I hadn’t spent much time at the south end of the lake because I’ve found the winds to be a little flukey down there, and it’s also known for having a quite shallow sandy bottom. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to pull into the public dock at Camp Rich and go find a refreshing beverage at The Beacon Bar & Grill, because my sailiing pal Ancil (who keeps his boat down there) had told me what a great place it was. I could see the long pier was bustling with people and boats, so I motored every-so-slowly in and spotted an opening along the pier large enough for our 27-foot Splendido. Right as I started my turn, a small speedboat piloted by two stoned chuckleheads zipped in front of me and poached my spot. I swerved back toward shore to avoid a collision, and instantly felt the keel drag in the sandy bottom. Fortunately, I hit reverse and was able to avoid getting stuck, but that was it for me. I made for open water, set sail and headed north, breathing a sigh of relief at leaving the madding crowds in my wake. Alas, my eagerly anticipated visit to The Beacon would have to wait.

One highlight of the season was trying out a new-to-me pizza joint on the North Shore, Whitecaps Pizza with my buddy Jamie and also with Debbie. I’d heard about Whitecaps from our longtime friend and fellow foodie, Jim “J.B.” Budny of Christy Hill in Tahoe City (more on him below). J.B. had waxed eloquent about the crust of Whitecaps’ pizza. “They do a three-day proof,” he said. “It’s amazing.” J.B. was right. It was remarkable, and sitting at the bar on the deck and gazing out at one of the best views at Tahoe sealed the deal. Whitecaps is my new Tahoe pizza favorite, and I’d drive an hour from Reno for one of their pies.

Speaking of food, at Lake Tahoe, Debbie and I have two places that we love to visit when we go out to eat, and we’ve been fans of both for many, many years.

The first of our Tahoe foodie favorites is Wolfdale’s in Tahoe City. I think we went there on our first date in 1991, and it was — and is — spectacular. Douglas Dale, the founder and chef, has become a friend over the years, as Debbie would occasionally invite him down to Reno to showcase his amazing culinary gifts as featured chef at her place, The Cheese Board & Wine Seller. If you go, do not miss Douglas’ house-made smoked trout with aioli. Better yet, order five of them and make a meal of it. It’s that yummy.

Neck-and-neck with Wolfdale’s is Christy Hill, another longtime staple of the Tahoe City culinary scene. We’ve followed legendary Tahoe waiter and sommelier Jim “J.B.” Budny from Wolfdale’s to Boulevard to Spindleshanks to Christy Hill, where he delivers a masterclass every night in the art and science of service. The views at Christy Hill are to die for, and the nosh is wonderful. J.B. has a gift for pairing wines from all over the world with Christy Hill’s stunning cuisine. Planning a special date night? Make this the place.

We were delighted to welcome some old friends and new ones aboard Splendido this past season. Our friends Mikey and Patty joined us for an afternoon at Sugar Pine as we gently bobbed about, ate, drank and just basked in the bliss of being at Lake Tahoe on a balmy summer afternoon. These opportunities to really unwind are pretty special. Another special guest aboard was my cinematographer colleague and friend, Damian Gordon of Sierra Studio Films, who came up to film Splendido sailing from his drone. Damian is a gifted videographer and editor who’s hired by the likes of the San Francisco Marathon and large corporations to do video work. He’s also the marketing videographer for Nevada’s flagship university, where I’ve worked with him creating student recruiting videos for the past five years. We spent the day sailing the west shore, and I’ll post what we did here once I do the video voiceover that I’ve been putting off now for months. Stay tuned.

You probably noticed one photo in the gallery here showing a vast amount of yellow pine pollen collected along the shore where we launch. Yep, that’s Tahoe in June, and this past year, the pollen was so intense that when a breeze would come up in the pines, it would waft up on a scale that made it look like smoke from a fire. I don’t suffer from pollen allergies myself, but I pity the poor souls who do at that time of year. I think the massive pollen release was a result of the big winter and abundance of water we had over the winter of 2022/23. At the moment, though, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is at 25% of the historical average for January, which is a bit worrying. It looks like a storm is on the way, so fingers crossed for some lake-filling wet weather ahead.

Right now, Splendido is sitting on her trailer in her winter pasture covered with a new-to-me canvas sailboat cover that a fellow Catalina 270 sailor in Seattle gave me, as he found he didn’t need it in the milder Pacific Northwest. My handy pal Ancil is after me to replace Splendido’s battery cables, which we noticed had quite a bit of corrosion at the ends last season. My other projects before launch in a few months include installing brand-new lifelines and a new electric bilge pump, and maybe new portlights, as ours are quite dogged, as they’re now 31 years old. Ah, there’s always plenty of messing about to be done when it comes to boats, but the you realize it’s a privilege to be grateful for, and you just get on with it.

One last thing to note is that today, I’m retiring from the university where I’ve worked for past 11 years to spend more time with my darling bride, Debbie, who sold her business six years ago and has been kinda hanging out waiting for me to get with the program. Our plan is to sail more and stress less, so fingers crossed. I’ll keep you posted. Until next time …

Fair winds and smooth sailing! DB

Swapping out the cutlass bearing (and other joys of spring boat prep)

On By David BranbyIn Commissioning & De-commissioning, Keeping Up Appearances, Mechanical Stuff, SplendidoLeave a comment

Our good old boat turns 30 this year, so it was no big surprise that spring commissioning would entail a few more tasks than usual to keep her ship-shape. It helped a lot to have fellow sailor Ancil — an incredibly talented, mechanically inclined guy — poke around Splendido when she was on the hard and notice things I hadn’t noticed. One day, he grabbed hold of the prop drive shaft and said, “You need a new cutlass bearing.” Before I knew it, we were working together to remove the old bushing that supports the drive shaft and tapping in a new one, as shown in this video. The untold part of the video above is that we got a little excited and ended up crimping one edge of the new cutlass bearing as we were tapping it in, so I had to buy a new $75 part from Catalina Direct and re-do it. C’est la guerre.

Ancil struck again by noticing that Splendido’s exhaust thru-hull was cracked. That was a bit of a shocker, as I started playing with it and it broke and literally fell out of the boat. Yikes! Many online searches and phone calls later, and I was able to get Catalina Direct to source a serviceable replacement that is now posted on their website. Having that one fail inspired me to replace four more of the thru-hulls in the boat, and I think they turned out pretty well — plus, it gave me an easy opportunity to use Marelube on all of the seacocks, and to improve access to the annoying one under the kitchen sink.

The fairlead tracks were leaking and allowing water into the balsa of the deck, so Debbie and I drilled and filled them with epoxy and installed new stainless fasteners all down the line. I’m still cleaning up the epoxy drips, but the good thing about an older boat with an oxidized fiberglass deck is that they’re a little easier to deal with — a sharp razor-blade and a bit of heat gun action seems to be doing the trick.

We launch next Tuesday, so I’m excited to finally get her back out on Lake Tahoe. Other honey-dos this winter included riveting on a new gooseneck to boom and mast, and doing a quick re-varnish of the cabin lockers, drink holder, and oars. Ah, the aroma of varnish stinking up the garage in the morning. It smells like … sailing season!

This morning, it’s back to the boat yard to caulk the fairlead tracks, clean up epoxy drips, Thixo some aged, cracked plastic pieces, and maybe touch up some paint on boat and trailer. I promise, my next post will be about actually sailing on Lake Tahoe — that is, if Zephyrus grants us the privilege.

Fair winds and smooth sailing. DB

Why are mooring buoys so expensive at Lake Tahoe?

On By David BranbyIn On The WaterLeave a comment



Just for fun, I — like millions worldwide — decided to try the artificial intelligence tool called ChatGPT to answer a question that’s been bouncing around in my head for years. I had to edit it a bit to make it make sense, but this is the answer it came up with.

Mooring buoys at Lake Tahoe can be expensive due to a variety of factors. Some of the reasons may include:

  1. High demand Lake Tahoe is a popular destination for boating and water sports, which can drive up the demand for mooring buoys.
  2. Limited supply The number of mooring buoys at Lake Tahoe is limited, which can also contribute to the high cost.
  3. Maintenance costs Mooring buoys require regular maintenance to ensure they are safe and functional, which can add to the overall cost.
  4. Government regulations There may be government regulations and permits that need to be obtained in order to install a mooring buoy, which can add to the cost.
  5. Environmental impact Lake Tahoe is a sensitive ecosystem and measures need to be taken to minimize the environmental impact of the mooring buoys, which can also add to the cost.
  6. High land values The Lake Tahoe basin is a high land-value area with high property prices that might reflect on the cost of the buoys.

It’s important to note that prices can vary depending on the location of the buoy, dinghy access and public parking available nearby, so it’s always a good idea to shop around and compare prices before making a decision.

It doesn’t take artificial intelligence to understand what’s on my mind, sitting here with a hot cup of coffee on a very wintery and cold (27º F.) day here in Reno, with my boat under a foot of snow at 5,886 ft. elevation. I’d better get on the horn and get something going to secure a mooring for the coming sailing season. Until next time,

Fair winds and following seas. DB

Escaping the heat

On By David BranbyIn On The Water, Overnighters, Splendido1 Comment

It’s been well over 100º F. at home this week, so we have been taking every opportunity to get out on the water to cool down. Tahoe has been hot as well, recording temps in the high 80s — something I’ve never seen before in our 12 years of sailing here. I brought our old hot tub thermometer with us and recorded a water surface temperature of 72º F. at Sugar Pine State Park. I swam around for hours, snorkeling a bit in the area where we dropped the hook and checking out Splendido’s hull. Even Debbie jumped in and swam around for about 20 minutes without getting chilled, which I believe is a new record for her.

I love it when I have uninterrupted time on the boat, like when we do an overnight stay. Tahoe was like a mill pond all night, so I woke up fresh around 5 a.m. and got the coffee going so we could enjoy the sunrise. Debbie took up her favorite spot on the foredeck and I joined her as we soaked in the silence and serenity of the early hour. I noticed the nylon pins on the hinges to the foreward hatch had worked their way out about an inch and a half on both sides, so I went down and got a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench to gently tap them back into place. Splendido seems pretty dialed in this summer, but I’m always thinking about the next project. Right now, I’m thinking about a fall project to refurbish the sea hood, and another project to repaint and upgrade the trailer before we pull Splendido in October. I saw a funny line on the Catalina 270 forum that said “the only thing guaranteed to work on an older sailboat is the owner,” and I enjoyed a real belly laugh over that. But, as someone who has worked at a desk as a writer for 35 years, I actually relish the chance to do hands-on work and learn a few things. I think that’s what I appreciate most about owning a sailboat: I’ve learned a bit about diesel maintenance, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, gel coat repair, plastic fabrication, and lots more — mostly in a clumsy, oh-ffs-what-have-I-done-now? way. But I digress. For now, I’m just grateful that the fire season hasn’t been too bad, and that our exposure to smoke has been minimal. You can see the start of the smoke that came in from the Oak Fire near Yosemite July 22, and I am happy to say the fire crews really jumped on that one and knocked it down within a week. It looks like there’s a break in the heat dome today, and before we know it, the sky will change mid-August and that first hint of fall will hang in the air.

Fair winds. DB

A recipe for summer sailing at Lake Tahoe

On By David BranbyIn SplendidoLeave a comment

Debbie and I have been getting out on the water this season at every opportunity — almost to the point of exhaustion. (Yes, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.) 🙂 Seriously, though, at our age, you really do notice the physical effort involved with sailing at 6,224 ft. above sea level, so you’ve got to keep your strength up.

To that point, I want to share an amazing recipe for olive oil cake that Debbie makes (with all credit to legendary pastry chef Jennifer Shelbo), which is a perfect snack for munching on when you’ve thrown down the hook and have a chance to rest your hands and eyes in the cool shade of your boom tent to beat the dazzling sunshine and heat that’s now a part of summer sailing at Lake Tahoe.

Olive oil cake — yum!
Debbie’s ready to sail.
First sail of 2022.
Sandy and Ryan, first-time sailors.
Ryan Green hoisting the flag, July 4, 2022.
A toast to Tahoe.
Southbound again.
Shaking the reef.
A singlehander’s snack.
Motoring.
Happy faces after a long winter.
Cruising at 5.5 knots.
We’re flushed with excitement over the new marine head.
Yes, this is my happy place.
Shady characters.
Blackwood Canyon, near our home buoy.
One day we forgot the boat key, so opted for a picnic instead.
That’s our girl.
Chasing faster boats to the north.

Two things come to mind about sailing so far this summer:

  1. The performance of the new standing rigging and CDI furler installed and tuned by Pete Lewis of Tahoe Sailboat Service is amazing. Our previous boatspeed record was 6.4 knots. Yesterday (7/16/22), I hit 6.7 knots while singlehanding in 19-21 knots of breeze. While expensive to do, the upgrade was worth it. Thanks, Pete!
  2. I have yet to meet my sailing heroes Brady Trautman and Alex Blue of SV Delos/Cruisers Academy fame, although their Catalina 22 teaching boats are moored only 100 yards away from Splendido’s buoy. As a total dork fanboy, I wear my SV Delos rash guard shirt on a lot of sunny days.

    Fair winds, DB

At least the wind is free

On By David BranbyIn Commissioning & De-commissioning, Keeping Up Appearances, Mechanical Stuff, SplendidoLeave a comment
Pumping out is generally free, too, although a tip of $5-$20 is much appreciated by the dock hands.

As I begin planning our spring commissioning, I am thinking a bit about the costs associated with sailing here at Lake Tahoe. Our 1993 Catalina 270 is a relatively small sailing vessel, but nevertheless, I have kept spreadsheets over our nearly 12 years of ownership to track what it costs to keep her up and sail her during our 4-5 month season here. I’m interested in learning how our experience stacks up to other small sailboat owners out there, so feel free to comment or post your own records if you’re comfortable doing so.

Every hobby comes with its price tag, and I think there is the impression out there among the general public that sailing is either a rich person’s sport, or that it’s “free” because the wind is free. This year, it’s likely to be a bit more spendy because we’re having the standing rigging replaced and we’ve kept her on the hard over the winter at Obexer’s on the west shore of Lake Tahoe while that work is being done. Oh, and I did decide to splurge and get a new furling headstay, so there’s that. But for now, I’m going to share my 2019 spreadsheet, as that’s pretty typical for what it costs us to prep, moor and sail at Tahoe each summer.

Let me know how your sailing season runs — and if there’s something wonky-looking about my expenses, let me know.

Here’s to fair winds, following seas, and (hopefully) a smoke-free sailing season! DB

Mooring secured

On By David BranbyIn Splendido1 Comment

Just a note of gratitude this Sunday morning as I am putting together my commissioning checklist after securing a buoy on majestic Lake Tahoe. (Whew!) The sailing community at Tahoe is small, but their reach is wide, and I am grateful to the folks who pinged me to let me know about different mooring opportunities around Lake Tahoe. Special thanks goes out to Mike Levin of Sailing On Sunshine for the tips and support. Thank you, Mike!

This year will mark our 10th season of sailing at Tahoe, and we’ve cherished every moment, even the tough ones. Can’t wait to get out on the water—and praying that we’ll have fair winds and smooth sailing, hopefully free from wildfire smoke.

Looking forward to seeing you on the water! DB

On the hunt for a buoy at Tahoe

On By David BranbyIn Commissioning & De-commissioning3 Comments

Lake Tahoe remains one of the priciest places to moor a boat on a buoy in the U.S., with prices in the $1,500 range at the south shore to upwards of $8,000 for the five-month season as you clock around to the north shore. (The cost for slips in marinas is just staggering for working stiffs like me, so I won’t even go there.) For many years, we have been fortunate to have found a great mooring situation with a private resident on the west shore, but now our wonderful “buoy lord” is selling the family homestead, so we’re on the hunt once again to be able to sail in 2022.

I’m optimistic that something will pop up. I have an ad up on Craigslist seeking a buoy, and I’m tapping my sailing network to see if anyone knows anyone offering a buoy for rent at Tahoe this summer. The influx of remote workers from the Bay Area and inflation in general have driven up prices, and I don’t blame homeowners for asking what the market will bear. My fear, of course, is that we’ll be priced out and have to find somewhere new to sail … not a prospect I relish, let me tell you.

This spring, we’re having the standing rigging replaced down at Obexer’s, and Splendido is buttoned up tight under her shrink-wrap coat, waiting for spring to truly arrive. It snowed yesterday, with winds in the 45-60 range, so we’re not quite there, weather-wise. I’m starting to get excited about sailing once again, though it’s tempered by a bit of anxiety with this new wrinkle. But I believe everything will work out … fingers crossed. If you hear of anything, let me know.

Fair winds and smooth sailing. DB