Catalina Mainsheet Magazine is a quarterly publication averaging 100 pages in length. It features 56 to 64 pages of Features and Class News as well as a 24 to 32 page Technical Notes Supplement.

Volume 28, Number 3, August 2010

Editor’s Bark
by Jim Holder, Editor

The Days When
There is something just plain exciting about ships, BIG SHIPS, not made of metal, carbon fiber, high tech molded materials for sails, and taller than a three-story building. You’ve got it, real ships, made of wood, canvas, and hemp. It takes your breath away just to see them coming over the horizon. But to step on board and look up, without your tongue getting stuck in your throat, into the maze of lines and tall mast, is nothing short of magical. These are ships from the era, as the saying goes, “when men were made of steel and ships were made of wood.”

For decades these tall ships have been making a comeback. Scores of countries around the world have reproduced them down to every exact detail. Most of them have programs that take young people on board as students or cadets to learn and experience the way it was in days of old.

Several years ago Carol and I were fortunate enough to have a week aboard the California, a replica of a cutter used by the state of California to help patrol the coast against pirates in 1820. Also aboard were about 20 cadets, boys and girls, getting their chance to learn and relive life at sea as it once was. Our whole experience was too good to be true. If you ever get the opportunity to sail on one of these, don’t let it go by. It will change your perspective and respect for those who sailed those magnificent crafts.

Speaking of opportunities, the port of Chicago will host some 20 tall ships from around the world this August. More details are found in the report from the All Catalina Fleet 21 on page 9 in this issue. Last year one of their fleet members, 16-year-old Kayla Anderson, had the ultimate experience of being a crew member aboard one of these beauties. Again, see more details in the AC Fleet 21 report, which also details some of the many incredible activities this organization does for the community in support of sailing. Kudos to Fleet 21 members and officers for a job “Well Done.”

Click the buttons below to read more highlights from this issue: