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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 2004)
•júnela. 2004 CULTURE ............. W ............. Raines Globe Travel Person to Person Travel Planning Hey sailor ) International Specialists Vacation Packages • Cruises • Tours • Group Travel Pacific Coast Yacht Club cruises Oregon’s rivers by Downtown Salem Since 1948 129 Commercial NF. • 503-399-1800 • 800-971-7210 K athy B elge PHOTO BY KATHY BELGE It’s a you parade. Herzog-Meier D. Fulps/George Kettner S03-644-912 1 «cars @ heaogmeier.com Drivers wanted. T H E C A T IS O U T OF T H E BAG! ADOPT A CAT SPECIAL June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month Adult Cat (over 6 months) Adoption Fee $50 (Normal fee is $80) Adoption special good through June 30. 2004 Adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, microchip, vaccinations, one-year license, free vet exam, collar, cat carrier, deworming. flea control and a pet eternally grateful for a second chance. Multnomah County Animal Services I 700 W. Historic Columbia River Highway Tuesday. Thursday, Friday I 1:00am - 6:00pm; Wednesday Noon - 6:00pm Saturday 6 Sunday 11:00am - 4:30pm 503-988-7387 • www.multcopets.org (check the web for lost or found pets) T he Pacific Coast Yacht Club offers public cruises during Pride weekend. Clockwise from back left: Alison Mazon, Joel Sundstrom, Edd Scott and John M cD onald-O ’Lear. rying hard to keep the tune from Gilligans Juan Islands and float around all summer long, Island out of my head, I climbed on hoard often catching dinner right out of Puget Sound. John McDonald-O’Lear and Joel Sund- “You’re like a turtle,” Scott says about why strom’s 1962, 41-foot Chris Craft yacht on a he loves boating. “You’ve got your fcxxl, your recent Saturday aftemmn. It’s like a floating RV, kxlging, everything you need. In a half an hour only prettier—beautiful wixxlwork, a large, bright you can he far, far away from town.” sitting area (the saloon) and a brass barometer. Scott has been a member of other yachting 1 don’t know what a typical day on the clubs in Portland and, while he didn’t find Columbia River is like, hut the aftemcxm 1 them unfriendly, he wanted to start a club motored out with Portland’s queer boating group, specifically for gay, lesbian, hi and trans the first two vessels we saw were loaded down boaters. He co-founded the group three years with leshiaas. “It’s a small river,” a member com ago with Ray W ilston, the oldest member ments. I guess in a town with as many lesbians as (although he won’t reveal his age). Portland, I shouldn’t have beer, too surprised. “Some people own houses at the beach or the The Pacific Coast Yacht Club’s aim is to mountains,” Scott says. “But then, that is where bring together queers and queer-friendly folks they go. W ith a boat, you can go anywhere.” who have an interest in power or sail boating. Mazon was stressed out in high-tech corpo “We have a diversity of boats," says Sundstrom rate Southern California when she took her of the social club’s 15 or so members, who will first boat ride in 1975. She went out for an offer Pride cruises to the public June 19 and 20. evening excursion with a co-worker and within The group isn’t strictly for yachtcrs, though. a m onth she owned his boat. T hat ride “was Some members have smaller fishing boats or fast the best thing that ever happened to me,” she ski boats. One of the club’s missions is to teach smiles. Now the 60-year-old sails a 30-fcxit sail boat and makes her living as a marine surveyor each other about safe boating and etiquette. A benefit of membership is a free vessel check, (like a home inspector for boats). Sundstrom and McDonald-O’Lear met Mazon which ensures boats have all the U.S. Coast Guard recommended safety equipment. when they set out to make a new purchase. “We had a romantic thing about a wtxxJen boat,” The club sponsors monthly boat rides, offer ing a great way for queer boaters to meet one McDonald-O’Lear explains. When Mazon came another. “We cmise while we cruise,” Sund to ¡aspect a boat they were thinking of buying, she strom laughs. They even have events on dry ttxik one Icxik at them and told the two skippers land during the winter months. about the queer yacht club. Which was fine with Much like old car aficionados, club members them. “As new boaters, we wanted to have people point out different boats as we ride by. Sundstrom who could teach us,” McDonald-O’Lear notes. says the group offers lots of opportunities for They’ve gotten that and so much more members to get together and talk about their love from membership. of the water. Commodore Edd Scott adds, “The T he club will he marching in the Portland club is for anyone who has a boat or who doesn’t Pride parade June 20. (Just look for the group have a boat but would like one someday.” with a boat.) Members also invite interested As the weather turned cloudy and rain parties to come down to RiverPlace Marina for began to fall, Scott and Sundstrom began a cruise during Pride weekend. (Look for the swapping stories about near misses and boats rainbow flags or, as they’re known on the capsizing near the mouth of the Columbia water, rainbow burgees.) River in Astoria. Pushing away thoughts of the M cDonald-O’Lear expertly steered the large Minnow and desert islands, I asked each about vessel across a tricky crosscurrent into the tight what got them interested in boating. docking spot, impressing everyone on board. Scott and vice commcxJore Alison Mazon 1, for one, was relieved to see dry land and no are the most experienced of the club members sign of palm trees. J H I met. Scott loves the water so much he lives on a houseboat near Sauvie Island. The 72-year-old Contact the PACIFIC COAST Y a c h t C lu b at began water skiing more than 40 years ago. In 503 - 345 - 8523 . his younger years, he would take his boat down the Columbia and up the Pacific to the San KATHY B elg e is a Portland free-lance writer. T
