• Home
  • Salt Spring MLS®
    • Listings Up to 500k
    • Listings 500k – 899k
    • Listings 900k plus
    • Salt Spring Condos
  • Salt Spring Land
    • Bishops Walk Salt Spring
    • Channel Ridge properties
    • Mount Tuam Annas Drive
    • Trustee’s Trail development Salt Spring
    • Skywater Salt Spring
    • Jasper, Jennifer, Sarah and Becky way area
    • Ashya Road Salt Spring
    • Mt Erskine Narrows West
    • Shepherd Hills Road lots
    • Maliview
    • Merchant Mews
  • Buying on Salt Spring
    • Salt Spring Interactive map
    • Salt Spring Island Buying tips
    • Re-Listing
    • E-Signing In BC Real Estate Transactions: What You Need To Know
    • Dual Agency
    • Salt Spring Island Home Inspection
    • Salt Spring Island Building trades
    • Salt Spring Island Lawyers
    • Salt Spring Mortgage
  • Selling on Salt Spring
    • How to sell Salt Spring Real Estate
    • Salt Spring EnerGuide
  • Market Report
    • Virtual Open House
  • TV Show
    • Radio Real Estate show
    • CFSI Radio Real Estate older shows
    • CFSI Radio RE Shows
  • Contact
    • PCS sign up
    • About
    • Why Use Scott
    • Privacy Policy

Salt Spring Island Real Estate

MLS homes for sale by Scott Simmons

Swiftsure International Yacht Race

May 25, 2009 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

Swiftsure International Yacht Race. Just the name Swiftsure makes a west coast sailor’s heart start to pound. This is one of the premier races on the BC/Washington coast. It is not just a yacht race, it is an event, it is a adventure, it is a quest, it is a reunion, it pushes the average sailors beyond what they would normally do. Why would 5 men cram into a small 30 foot sailboat and sail against strong currents, sail all day and night, sail when there is too much wind, try to sail when there is no wind. Why? Who knows why in this day of modern travel when the space shuttle is routine and space tourism is passe. Why are people willing to strain against the wind and tides to make a small sailboat go 6 knots an hour? They get giddy if the boat goes a whopping 10 knots an hour (just over 18km hr). Just try driving your car at 18km an hour and try to feel the thrill.

Sailing is just one of those strange sports that is not a passive sport but a full on challenge that is not just physical but a combination of physical and mental ability. For a sailboat to do well it needs a combination of teamwork, skill, leadership, organizational ability and a pinch of luck. I was very fortunate on this years Swiftsure to ride on a great sailors yacht. The yacht was Electra CAN109 a Aphrodite 101 with a great skipper, friend and mentor on the helm Roger Kibble. We had a top tactician/navigator 1st mate Philippe Erdmer, extremely capable fore deck ape Nicholas Sladen-Dew (Nick you owned the fore deck you deserve the title of “fore deck ape”), sailing junkie Dmitri Bernhardt and yours truly trimmed the sails. All of us have sailed together at various time on various boats. Roger enjoys the prerace strategy and planning and it pays off. Over the last week we had numerous meetings including a snooker game/planning session going over all the multitude of situations we could encounter. A strong tidal current was against us this year. We would be fighting the current for most of the race. The weather was sunny but a high pressure ridge would keep any fronts or low pressure systems away and give us predictable winds from the west.

On Saturday morning we untied from docks in front of the Empress Hotel and joined in the precession going out to the starting area. It was rather amusing on the way out of the harbour to have the police boat beside us and rather rudely yelling at us to proceed in single file. I was wondering if he would be following us out into the strait and badger us all day. Once out at the starting area it was not what you would call ideal conditions. Strong current and light winds are not desirable for a sailing race but sailors play the cards we are given. The Canadian Navy sounded the gun and sent off the divisions at the right time. Just after the start I hit the bunk for a little cat nap. My forte is nights not morning and I knew my time would be the dog watch. A little before race rocks I rolled out of the bunk poured myself a coffee and headed up on deck to watch the show. Roger being the bold skipper had his plan for the strong current at Race Rocks. There had to be 50 – 70 boats battling the current trying to find a way through the passage when Electra sailed up on the Vancouver Island side just off the rocks. When I say “just off the rocks” lets just say you could step off the boat and be on the rocks. Roger likes to sail unbelievably close to the rocks. His diabolical plan worked, half the fleet was stuck in the current and we sailed right through the passage passing most of them like they were standing still. It was magnificent sailing. We had speed and the shelter of the rocks and just plowed through like a hot knife through butter. We even passed a few 50 foot sleds. It was our victory.

We were all cheering like we had just won the race but I think the race gods took a dim view of this cheering and decided to send us a little humble pie. The wind picked up and it was time for a head sail change, not an easy job on Electra, Roger does not believe in ro…. I can not even say the words. Hanked on sails have to be pulled down then the new sail is hanked on to replace it. Not an easy task in 15 knots of wind. This was the race gods first bit of humble pie. They thought we needed more of a test of our seamanship, team work and well you be the judge. We were going along with the little head sail and one reef in the main when all of a sudden the main comes down on the deck. A broken shackle. Electra being a fractional rig had no other halyards going to the top of the main. Race over…. well there was one chance if we sent someone up on the spinnaker halyard they might be able to reach up with a boat hook and snag the line. Well needless to say we did it. One man went up and hooked the main and we were back in the race. The winds picked up that night and we plowed on. Philippe and Dmitri where on the helm for most of the worst of it. With a reefed main and the storm jib up Electra rocked on. Nick was looking green down below and I was really hoping he was going to be fine. Needless to say we bashed on with out any souls on board praying at the head. As night settled in Nick, Dmitri and I drove the boat in the right direction but in extreme light winds. At one point the winds dropped to zero. We where totally adrift with no steerage. Then off our bow was another boat coming right at us. We hailed them and it was Chivita out of Seattle. They had no steerage but were bearing down on us. Wow a collision bow to bow in the middle of the strait. We knew we were drifting the right way and could not figure out how they where drifting so fast the wrong way. Today in the Times Colonist I read where Chivita was the last place boat and the skipper did not mention the bow to bow drifting encounter in the paper. I’m sure they will have a better race next year. It was their first Swiftsure I’m sure they will do better at drifting next year.

Rodger and Philip took over the helm at about 3am and had a building wind. Close to the rounding mark Demetri and I joined them on the deck for what we will always tell Nick was the best part of the race. Nick missed the rounding mark (half way point). The fans at Neah Bay where lining the docks cheering us. The Navy sounded a 21 gun salute, the clouds parted, the sun came up, Nick you will have to see it next year. The rounding set us up for our down wind spinnaker run back to Victoria. Most boats just put up their spinnakers and enjoy the ride home but on Electra Roger likes to change spinnakers depending on the wind angles and strength. I think we only made three changes which kept our sail trim sharp. We did have one bad wrap that was the result of a bad jibe and it was easier to just pull it down and change it. The finish of the race was anti climatic with no bands or hoopla, just the required safety check. The coolest thing happened when we were just about to tie up at the inspection dock. Braveheart was pulling out with its pro crew when the skipper looked over and yelled 101 and gave us the thumbs up. The trophies were given out the night before the race from last year. So even if we did win we will have to come back next year to pick up our hardware. Well Philippe and I jumped ship as fast as we could to hit the 7 pm ferry back to our lives. It all seemed so unreal.

So why did we do it. It was fun and just so cool. Such a great race, great friends, great sportsmanship, great food (Roger is a great chef he has actually had a cook book published) great time. Hope to see all back at the race next year. The Swiftsure 2010 is calling…

Cheers Scott Simmons

Dear Philippe and all Electra’s crew,

Let me please say that this was one of the most enjoyable of all the Swiftsures that I’ve sailed to date. It was the most comfortable for me because of everyone’s uncompromising friendliness, can do attitude, cooperation, generosity, pre-race interest, practical help and unending enthuiasm. The sunshine helped of course and ELECTRA performed with her legendary phenomenal performance, class and smoothness. I always give a silent thanks to Paul Elvstrom and Jan Kjaeruiff for her sublime design after every sail. I must only ask for her, and your, collective forgiveness at selecting such an inferior inappropriate, poor quality mainsail shackle, the failure of which undoubtedly cost us overall victory. The individual seamanship of you all at all times was truly outstanding. Scott’s brave and heroic mast head perseverance at the top of a rolling 44-foot mast waving a ten foot boat hook in one hand for 45 minutes and then succeeding in securing the errant mast head shackle was the stuff for folk lore. Philippe and Nicholas drew all the tough jobs including cold long arduous helm duty in tough upwind 25 knot conditions guiding Electra with efficient ease, never pinching or slamming the waves. They also did most of the grueling sail changing foredeck work and the thankless task of jibing the pole in big winds. Philippe and Dmitri kept us precisely on course at all times with multiple GPS assistance. Nick, Dmitri and Philippe quietly kept Electra moving in the wee hours in the cold dying airs when all boats around were stopped, a thankless but critical task and ended off other boats that impeding our ruthless progress towards Neah Bay. Scott helmed deep downwind with superb accuracy and skill and kept everyone in the best of spirits with his infectious laugh and extraordinary army life tales. Everyone shared all the duties with grace, efficiency and immediate willingness while suffering the whims and fancies of your demanding and wistful skipper. You gave me your confidence, trust, unqualified support, continuous good humour and more rest than any of my previous Swiftsures. Thank you all for a wonderful weekend.
My hat’s off to you,

Roger

Filed Under: Salt Spring Sailing/Boating

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

CRITICAL BUYING INFO

Two things buyers should know before they offer:

Price History

Total time on market

Forms for the new BC Real Estate rules
Disclosure-of-Representation-in-Trading-Services
Agreement-Regarding-Conflict-of-Interest-Between-Clients
Disclosure-of-Risks-to-Unrepresented-Parties
PrivacyNoticeandConsent

Salt Spring Island Property Search

up to 500k

500k-899k

900k plus

Land
 
 

Comments

LOADING...

Advanced MLS Sign up Scott's Virtual Open House (PCS) system here

 

Scott's mobile Virtual Open House system here

 

Log into your PCS account here.

 

 

Salt Spring Real Estate Market Report

If you are looking for Salt Spring Island Real Estate it would be well worth your time to check out my Salt Spring Market Report pages.

To help you search for a Salt Spring home for sale I have two systems you can use.  One is a map based mobile search system for tablets and/or phones. This system works really well if you are on Salt Spring, as it will automatically show you properties as you drive around the island.

The other system is a data base (Advanced MLS system or PCS) for laptops or desktops.

These two systems display information in real time, which allows you to view new listings within one second of them coming on the market. You will also find the “sold” prices of homes, as well as other useful information.

Radio Real Estate Shows

TV show Realty Reality on Salt Spring

So glad shooting for the new Real Estate TV show “Realty Reality” is over. It was a lot of work. It all looks so easy on TV but in reality it was not easy. I think they were waiting for the “moment” to happen. You know the big fall down the steps or fall of […]

Home inspection on Salt Spring Island

Home inspection on Salt Spring Island happened yesterday at a 42 year old log home. To accomplish the home inspections the buyer brought in a  Home Inspector, Geo-technical Engineer and a local Salt Spring contractor. Jeff the home inspector tells the story about the bag of Gold he found in an attic; gold story How […]

Salt Spring home face lift

My clients bought this dated salt spring home a month ago and are upgrading it.  The home was built in 1996 and is structurally 100% perfect.  It seams as if the original owner skimped on the finishing.   The main up grade Alex Denny (salt spring master carpenter) will be doing for the owners is re-finishing […]

Latest post

Salt Spring Home Staging Tips

If you’re selling your home, you want to create the best impression possible for prospective buyers. And one of the easiest ways to do that is through staging. A well-staged home gives buyers a better sense of what living in the space will be like and makes them more likely to want to buy it. […]

Packing Tips for Busy Home Sellers

Packing correctly can simplify the burden of the entire process for a household and potentially their moving company. By packing smart, using proper protocols, and paying attention to the details, things can be ready to go far before the movers arrive and ready to unload upon arrival. Here are some tips for busy home sellers […]

Salt Spring rental homes by the numbers

I get many people asking me about buying a rental home on Salt Spring and usually spend a lot of time answering all their questions.  So in this post, I hope to cover some of the factual information. Here are the typical questions and basic answers; What is the rental market like on Salt Spring?  […]

Buying on Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring rental homes by the numbers

July 18, 2018 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

I get many people asking me about buying a rental home on Salt Spring and usually spend a lot of time answering all their questions.  So in this post, I hope to cover some of the factual information. Here are the typical questions and basic answers; What is the rental market like on Salt Spring?  […]

Ban on Dual Agency BC

June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

On June 15th, 2018 the ban on dual agency just came into effect in BC. Here is a post I wrote about how the new rules will change the way I do business on Salt Spring New Rules for BC Real Estate As a continuation of the New Rules post, what happens if we are […]

New Rules for BC Real Estate

June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

On the 15th of June 2018, the new rules governing BC real estate have come into effect. If you come to Salt Spring to look at homes and or land Scott will go over the form below and ask you if you would like agency representation and ask you to sign this Disclosure-of-Representation-in-Trading-Services as a represented part […]

Salt Spring Island Trust Land Use Zoning bylaw 355

February 17, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

On Salt Spring Island the Island Trust is responsible for our local zoning.  You can find our zoning info here at the Salt Spring Island Trust LUB 355. The bylaw has maps that cover every part of the island.  Believe it or not every few months or so I get an email from someone saying […]

Is an offer an sale?

January 26, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

This last month I had an accepted offer on a home and had a backup offer come in.  The backup offer was a very weak offer because the condition precedent (subject to clause) was so subjective.  It was subject to the buyer viewing and liking the lot.  Normally no one would take an offer like […]

More Posts from this Category

 

SALT SPRING NEWS

Salt Spring Housing Crisis explained

July 12, 2018 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

Is Salt Spring in the middle of a housing crisis?  It all depends on who you talk to and what one defines as a crisis. If you move to Salt Spring and have limited funds and are looking to rent a home at about $1000 per month your probably out of luck.  There are basically […]

Candidate for Regional Director CREA

March 7, 2017 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

I’m running for the position of board member Regional Director for BC for the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).  Below is my official platform after edits suggested by CREA lawyers. My name is Scott Simmons. I’m a REALTOR® on Salt Spring Island BC. If you go to the REALTOR.ca site and put in Salt Spring […]

CRD sewer and solid waste

January 23, 2017 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

The nuts and bolts of local goverment are really the non glamours basics of water, sewer and garbage (solid waste).   The CRD is the local service provider for Salt Spring.  On the night of 24 Nov 2016 Russ Smith Senior Manager, Environmental Resource Management for the CRD put on a waste presentation.  Here is a […]

Incorporation – A Third Option: Self-governance with contracted services

May 11, 2016 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

This was just posted on the Salt Spring exchange in 4 parts.  I have permission from John Gauld the author to publish this document on my Salt Spring web site;   SSI is known as a community that questions conventional practices and is creative and innovative in its response to community challenges. Perhaps the up-coming […]

Salt Spring’s new SSIWPA PAC

November 4, 2014 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

If you live on Salt Spring you have to get used to all the acronyms.  If you have not heard of SSIWPA it’s because it’s new.   SSIWPA stands for Salt Spring Island WaterShed Protection Authority.  Today  was the first meeting of the SSIWPA PAC (Public Advisory Committee). The ideal behind SSIWPA is that it […]

 

Critical Salt Spring Buying Info

Ban on Dual Agency BC

June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

On June 15th, 2018 the ban on dual agency just came into effect in BC. Here is a post I wrote about how the new rules will change the way I do business on Salt Spring New Rules for BC Real Estate As a continuation of the New Rules post, what happens if we are […]

New Rules for BC Real Estate

June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

On the 15th of June 2018, the new rules governing BC real estate have come into effect. If you come to Salt Spring to look at homes and or land Scott will go over the form below and ask you if you would like agency representation and ask you to sign this Disclosure-of-Representation-in-Trading-Services as a represented part […]

Sun Path Chart

Does the home get sunlight?

February 28, 2013 By Scott Simmons 1 Comment

If you’re planning to live on Salt Spring year-round, one of the most important things to consider when buying a property is SUNLIGHT. Do the neighbor’s trees or a mountain block the sun during the winter months?  According to Salt Spring real estate mythology, “If they buy in August, they will list in November and […]

Aggregate Days on the Market

January 2, 2012 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

What are “aggregate days on the market”? On the Victoria Real Estate board an agent can “Re-List” a property for a mere $25 fee.  An example would be if a home has been listed on the board for 180 days the listing can be taken off the market and then “Re-Listed” and appear to be […]

Scott Simmons’s Social Sites

Scott's social sites FacebookScott's social sites TwitterScott's social sites LinkedInScott's social sites YouTube

Salt Spring Island Real Estate Site Map

Salt Spring Island Real Estate Site Map Link

 
 

Mug Shot of Scott Simmons

Tel number
250.538.8316

Email; Saltspring at Yahoo dot com

Email Scott

salt spring mls

Scott's brokerage is eXp Realty
brokerage address;
1321 Blanshard Street, Suite 301
Victoria, BC
V8W 0B6

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal and or Realtor advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute a Realtor/client relationship.

  • Advanced MLS®
  • Critical Salt Spring Buying Info
  • Salt Spring News
  • Virtual Open House
  • Why Salt Spring

Copyright © 2022 Log in