Category Archives: Pacific Yachting magazine

Mar4

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #27

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #27

Didn’t Prairie Girl and Husband Plan the Perfect Snowbird Get-Away EVER?

Some people were a tad skeptical when Prairie Girl and husband announced that they would be flying to Florida mid-January and returning home at the beginning of March. A quaint little Beach House had been rented, half a block from the beach and they couldn’t wait to leave the damp cold of the Pacific Northwest for their extended stay.  Friends and relatives queried them about what they would do for a couple of months down there. Husband’s response was, “Live the life I’ve always wanted and become a BEACH BUM.” Productive Prairie Girl’s response was more like, “I’m not sure… I visualize long beach walks, beach time for … Read the rest

Feb6

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

NEW BOAT DILEMMA

For those of you who follow my Prairie Girl Learns to Sail posts, you will know that husband recently decided that their 28 foot Catalina (the TwoCan) just wasn’t adequate anymore and became the proud owner of a 35 foot Beneteau (the TwoCanXL). And if you read my blog (Prairie Girl Series #23-Dec. 2, 2018), you will also know that Prairie Girl is somewhat challenged in the sailing skills department. This is noted in the author page of her book, WHO’S the CAPTAIN? that states:

“MARY LAUDIEN (alias PRAIRE GIRL) is a fair weather sailor (better known as a cruiser). She has never taken a sailing lesson or a power squadron/VHF Radio

… Read the rest
Feb2

VALENTINES’ DAY PRESSURE

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VALENTINES’ DAY PRESSURE

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #24

Each year, husband constantly reminds his Prairie Girl  how much he dislikes Valentines’ Day.  Why, you ask? Well, the long and the short of it is that he has an issue with feeling obligated to create a ‘HALLMARK MOMENT’ when someone else deems it necessary. Prairie Girl calls it his “BAH HUMBUG” syndrome. He pretty much feels this way about any contrived gift-giving celebration.  Now don’t get the wrong impression, it isn’t that he resents giving a gift and a card, (although one might regard husband as somewhat frugal); its really about being expected to celebrate something that he hasn’t bought into.  Prairie Girl understands his sentiments, but she does not let him … Read the rest

Dec2

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

HUSBAND TRADES UP TO A TwoCan XL

It’s hard to believe when they visit the marina where husband and Prairie Girl moored their TwoCan, that it is not their sailboat any longer. How is this possible, you ask? Well, dear readers, read on…

It all started last summer when husband and Prairie Girl attended their first CATALINA RENDEZVOUS. They had a great time chatting with the other Catalina boat owners and having opportunities to board those boats of interest. Of course, the 28 foot TwoCan was one of the smallest boats in attendance. It quickly became obvious to Prairie Girl that a BIGGER BOAT for husband would be forthcoming.

After touring all the beautiful 36+ foot yachts… Read the rest

Aug11

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #22

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #22

PRAIRIE GIRL AND HUSBAND SAVE A SEAL PUP

Anchoring out on the serene waters of Winter Cove in July, left Prairie Girl and husband with a completely unique and endearing experience. This post is not one of Prairie Girl’s usual humorous tales… this one actually is a perfect TENDER TUESDAY post.

It all started early morning, after a peaceful nights sleep on the hook. A thumping against the hull awoke Prairie Girl, but she never thought much about it. It wasn’t until they went out to the cockpit to have their morning coffee in the blissful sunshine that they discovered a baby seal pup, sniffing and trying to suckle the bottom of their dinghy. This little seal just never … Read the rest

May30

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

A FISHY START to the BOATING SEASON’S

OPENING DAY

May 6th was the official start to the BOATING SEASON for our Yacht Club.  Members spent days ahead of the event with haul outs to power wash their boats, scrub the hull and paint the bottoms, finishing off with the onerous process of waxing and buffing.  Prairie Girl, in the past, had never shared in this part of the boat prep. Of course, it didn’t help that husband kept making bookings and cancelling them. (Apparently the forecast was for rain… which, she might add, did NOT materialize on the second booking!).

 

However, the real glitch in the booking process ended up being the timing.  Of course, the pull-out’s 3rd … Read the rest

Apr17

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

PRIMED FOR SAILING SEASON

How did it happen to be mid-April already?   Some of Prairie Girl’s and husband’s friends already had their boats hauled out in March and have them in tip top shape, ready to sail when the weather clears up. They’ll be out on the water in a flash.

Not so for this sailor and her Captain. They’ve actually cancelled their haul- out twice now, believing they didn’t have a good weather window. Wrong! The sun shone after the morning showers and husband freaked out that he had let his coveted haul-out spot go. When will it possibly get done with the many Yacht Club executive meetings and regattas (He is a Vice Commodore, after all…) and … Read the rest

Jan30

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

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TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

PRAIRIE GIRL’S CAPTAIN IS VICE COMMODORE!

Not only did they join the yacht club, but also through questionable circumstances, husband was voted in (by acclamation) at the Yacht Club’s annual meeting! You’re shaking your head at this point, knowing that he probably has the smallest yacht in the club and sails less than anyone else. To affirm your suspicions, just review the Prairie Girl Post #15 – WILL THEY EVER SAIL AGAIN?

In the early fall, husband was called by the Past Commodore to ask whether he would consider letting his name stand for the Yacht Club’s Executive Team. Husband, now retired 9 months, didn’t have his work excuse to fall back on, now did he? So he cautiously … Read the rest

Oct22

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #17

PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN

CALL:  Duchess of the Seas (1 to 3X) (named after their dog)   This is TwoCan   Over

Reply: TwoCan   This is Duchess of the Seas   Go to Channel six eight   Over

Response:   Duchess of the Seas    This is TwoCan  Roger six eight  Out

After switching to the working channel six eight:

Establish Contact:     TwoCan   This is Duchess of the Seas   Over

(To be continued at the end of this post. You know you want to read the final portion of this transmission!)

Sounds simple, right? You’d think a former principal who was relaying information to staff and students daily over the PA SYSTEM would not find using the boat’s VHF/DSC radio … Read the rest

Sep6

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #16

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TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #16

SAILS ARE HOISTED! YIPPEE!!

Prairie Girl knows that you were starting to think that she and husband never actually raise their sails… Admit it- you were! Well, seriously, with all the hurdles involved in getting out on the water this summer, including illness and loss of very dear family members, reduced strength requiring a new windless installation, Prairie Girl and husband finally made it out mid-July to find themselves experiencing a pesky transmission issue. And just when they thought they had that fixed, the instrument gauges started to go mad.  Back home again to find a mechanic to solve that mystery.  This only took a couple of weeks to get someone down to the marina to tell them the new … Read the rest