•júnela. 2004
CULTURE
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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