Setting sail on the mighty Columbia

Sailing on the Columbia may seem like a tranquil, relaxing activity to landlubbers watching from the docks — the sails are up, the wind gently guides the vessel downstream, and life is good.
On June 11, I learned first-hand there is a lot more to sailing than kicking back and watching the banks float by.
I boarded Raven, a 35-foot Santana 35 sailboat owned by Rick Calnon, to take part in the St. Helens Sailing Club’s weekly Thursday night race, having no clue what sailing is all about.
The St. Helens Sailing Club is a group of local boat enthusiasts who gather to race different courses each Thursday. Boats racing on June 11 were Raven, Nanuk, Barnestormer, SP&M, Enchantress, Mo-B-Dick, Warrior, Sleazy Dog and Captiva.
With a great crew, we on the Raven were able to nip Nanuk by 60 seconds to win the race around Sand Island, although with this club, it seems having a good time is more important than winning the race.
The races are scored using a handicap system, similar to golf. The faster a boat can go, the lower its handicap. This way, a wide variety of boats can race against each other and still remain competitive.
This was the second win of the season for Raven, while Nanuk has also seen a victory.
A few minutes before 6:30 p.m., the crew of Rich Calnon (Rick’s son), Zach Peterson, Herb Olson, Tammy Blakely and Toni Doggett started furiously tugging ropes to hoist the main sail (in the middle of the boat) and the jib sail (in the front of the boat).
I sat at the back of the boat and watched a bird fly by with a fish in its talons.
Once the clock struck 6:30 and all nine boats had their sails up – except Surprise, which had its motor in the water and no sails up – the horn sounded, and the race was on.
Heading up to the starting line, the boats got a little too close for my comfort, with Nanuk sailing within just a couple feet of Raven. Apparently Nanuk had the right-of-way, forcing us as well as Mo-B-Dick to change paths.
But Rick’s river savvy – he said he learned to sail when he was 8 – helped us grab the lead over Nanuk by staying near the jetty on the Washington shore and keeping out of the current.
Once the spinnakers came up (an even bigger sail at the front of the boat), Raven started pulling away from the crowd.
It was at this point that I couldn’t help but feel I was added weight just getting in the way. Rich and Zach were lifting metal poles, Toni, Tammy and Herb were pulling lines and I was sitting by the rail trying not to foul up the ropes flying by my head.
But along the way, there were several jibe maneuvers performed by the crew. As the rail mate, this was a pretty easy move for me, except the bruised knees I ended up with the next day.
For all the non-sailors, ship jibes occur when the wind changes direction or the boat needs to change its course. The crew flips the main sail, and as a result, the low side of the boat becomes the high side.
For me, this meant scrambling over the ship like a salamander, but not a graceful one. I had to go from one side to another while making sure to stay below the boom (the horizontal bar the main sail is attached to), which is about two-and-a-half to three feet from the ship deck. In other words, there was a lot of frantic crawling by me, hence the bruises.
For everyone else aboard the ship, a jibe meant a lot more work. Pulleys were pulled, sails were moved, and the ship was steered. While it may sound easy, in truth, these maneuvers are quite strenuous for the crew. It’s a good thing I was on strict rail-mate duty.
After we made the turn at the red marker, just upstream of Warrior Rock at the tail-end of the 5-mile course, nobody was going to catch Raven. We breezed back past the 13 Nights on the River concerts and toward the St. Helens marinas at about 6.5 knots to finish the race in 1:01.13.
All in all, my first experience aboard a sailboat was awesome. Not only did it open my eyes to a sport I may otherwise have never tried out, I had the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the river — the passing birds squawking at us, the 13 Nights concert, the waves splashing against the boat, sailors talking like sailors.
Not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening.
If you’re interested in having a similar experience, contact Club Commodore Herb Olson via e-mail at herb@kingpac.com or visit www.sthelenssailingclub.org.