So I realize I have posted more than a response or two to comments
that are non-sailing related but there has not been much sailing stuff
posted to discuss so i thought I would throw in some stuff.

As some of you may know I am new to sailing. I am also building an
outrigger sailing canoe. So far everything has been a lot of fun but
finding people to go sailing with to help teach me has been a little
difficult, until this week. I have been learning from a relative of
mine who lives or rather lived on a sailboat. The problem is that he
resides with his wife and two teenage sons, none of which are
particularly fond of sailing. So the dingy has been my classroom.
I'm not complaining, there is a lot to be learned from dinghy sailing
so I have been doing a lot of that. Now for the sad news. my
relative sold his 44' sailboat and boat a motor trawler for the
space. No future hopes of sailing the big boat for me. But, I
recently found out that a guy I work with is in the sailing club at UC
Irvine and has several friends/relatives with boats. He is a very
experienced sailor and, of course, is always looking for an excuse to
get out on the water. After speaking a while he really wants to go
out on the weekends and use some of the boats he has access to and
teach me a thing or two about sailing. I also found out that my Dad's
colleuge at work with a racing/cruiser sailboat just moved it two
slips away from my relative that I have been sailing with. I have
been trying to get to talk to him about going out a few times because
it would seem that he is looking for a crew member so that he can push
the speed of his boat a bit but doesn't want to pay or really compete,
just have fun. So I am going out there this weekend to try and get
more people lined up for sailing. If any of you are in the Orange
county or L.A. County area and want someone to teach about sailing in
return for a free crew member or maybe a case of beer now and then let
me know.

That's my sailing news and I am sure you will all start to rip me
apart for something but at least it is related and we can get back to
talking about sailing.

Bill