# Greetings from Northern California



## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

Hi all,

Name is Bob, retired merchant marine and CMA grad. Sailed the Sea of Cortez ages ago, looking forward to my return to the cruising life before I'm too old to get it (the sail) up.


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Welcome aboard! So what you plan on sailing? I don't think T Buckets float!...Dale


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

Dale,

Thanks for the welcome. My last boat was a 1968 Cal 40. I'm currently leaning towards a 10~20 year old PDQ 36 with outboards, as I'm a singlehander.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Welcome aboard, bob.


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

bljones said:


> Welcome aboard, bob.


Thanks. With you declaring yourself "openly nasty", and greeting new members, I'm glad to see SailNet is putting their best foot forward. lol


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Cal 40 is my dream boat , Cal 28 what I could find/afford. So how was the Cal 40? ....Dale


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

Lake Superior Sailor said:


> Cal 40 is my dream boat , Cal 28 what I could find/afford. So how was the Cal 40? ....Dale


If it is your dream boat I'm sure I won't be able to add to anything you have already learned about it. I know everyone says this about their boat, but it was in fact a fast old boat. I singlehanded it down from Long Beach to Cabo, and then up the Sea to Mulege in almost 1/2 the passage time planned. 1470 nm in 151 1/2 hours to Sanispac anchorage. Did have an unusual amount of downwind sailing for that time of year, but never expected 230 nm daily runs from a boat so long in the tooth. It was 20+ years old when I bought it. Couple years later, Stan Honey won the Transpac in his almost 30 year old Cal 40. So they are fast downwind.

Sold it and looking for a PDQ 36 cat now.

Who are the cat folks on the forum? Any PDQ owners?


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

My cal is a flattop 28 kind of looks like an old shoe, Fits good though & about as roomy a 28 the you will find. What style did you have as they made many types? As for PDQ owners you should place a thread asking, & I'm sure you will find them...Dale


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

It just was a production race boat, that with careful consideration during fitting out for cruising, didn't put on too much weight. It wasn't a cut throat race boat where cockpit combings had been removed, just a sloop rig, tired but still fast, light displacement (for the day) boat. It has been almost 30 years back, so memory is fading, but other than Rhodes 19s, Flying Juniors, et al, it was my 1st serious boat.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

deckofficer: If you want to talk multihulls look up "sailingdog" he's around somewhere, and the man for multi's . . .Welcome aboard!


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

Thanks mikel1, I'll do that. Still in "lurk" mode, reading posts to this forum.


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## Amazing Grace (Feb 19, 2012)

Hi Bob, our first sailboat was an Islander 44, Bill Lapworth design. We sailed the south pacific in her. Her lines were very much like the Cal 40's (another Bill Lapworth design, right?). She was oh so quick - and oh so tender too! She had a heck of a boom on her; lots of sail area. Great downwind (like SF to Hawaii) , but otherwise, always over-canvassed. I remember that boat fondly.


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

Yep Bill for both. I think it was 1963 when the radical and ultra light (for its time) Cal 40 came on the scene. Now, I was only 11 and sailing a Flying Junior, but I remember the Sail magazines going ga-ga over its performance, especially downhill. 

Then when I was an adult, read Steve Dashew saying good things about the Cal 40, and back then you could buy a clapped out Cal racer for $15K, so I did. Best nautical bang for the buck I'll ever experience.


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## tomperanteau (Jun 4, 2009)

deckofficer said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Name is Bob, retired merchant marine and CMA grad. Sailed the Sea of Cortez ages ago, looking forward to my return to the cruising life before I'm too old to get it (the sail) up.


So many seem to be coming (back) into sailing these days. Great to see the community growing.

If you sail past San Pedro, let us know and perhaps we can yell at one another as you sail by.


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## deckofficer (Feb 18, 2012)

tomperanteau said:


> So many seem to be coming (back) into sailing these days. Great to see the community growing.
> 
> If you sail past San Pedro, let us know and perhaps we can yell at one another as you sail by.


I hope it is at least 10 years from now when I'm 70. I retired to take care of my 92 year old dad. Great old guy, used to race bicycles till 85.


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