November was a great month for the 2026 Fleet!
The final numbers on Fleet participation are excellent; there are 28 vessels signed up with a total of 38 participants.
The November Fleet meeting had a communication hiccup that resulted in a false launch at 7:00pm. In hindsight, it actually worked out because the Zoom Fleet showed up early which allowed for some great updates and exchanges before the 7:30 start of the meeting. Kevin Swanson did a fabulous job setting up the hybrid meeting. It was seamless and kept in mind the challenge of engaging both the in-person and Zoom participants.
One Zoom conversation was particularly interesting. A member, who keeps his boat in Washington, joined Fleet online from Colorado. After doing a lot of research, he discovered BCA, which he noted, seemed to be the only organization that offered training, both remotely and in person, for offshore and coastal cruising. That was a great validation of BCA and the value we offer our members. This points to an opportunity for BCA to grow its membership. As an organization, we have a lot to celebrate.
Show and Tell featured a magnifying glass and a homemade device that supports tracking the boat’s GPS positioning.
Presentation by Evolution Sails
Nicole, from Evolution Sails, was the evening’s presenter. She addressed optimizing sail inventory for offshore cruising, emphasizing the need for efficient sails that can handle a range of wind conditions. She walked the group through light air and heavy air solutions, sail materials and durability, as well as, different engineering and construction methods. She also discussed the importance of maintaining and repairing sails, and emphasized that over-building sails for long-distance cruising can ensure they last and perform well over time. Lastly, Nicole shared the contents of a typical sail repair kit and noted that Evolution Sails can help customize the repair kit for a specific sail inventory.
Evolution Sails has offered to host a session in their loft at some point in 2026. Stay tuned for details.
Weather
Fleet’s online Weather programme, hosted by Trina Holt and Jeff Wood, launched the first in a series on November 19 with 26 sign-ons. A big thank you to them for organizing and hosting Weather which is a very important component of Fleet. The first presentation addressed two subjects: Atmosphere & Global Circulation as well as Pressure, Wind, & Temperature.
The second session is on December 17: the first subject will be Air Masses, Fronts & Troughs, followed by Clouds, Fog & Local Phenomena.
Upcoming Fleet Events
We’re going to celebrate the season at a Fleet gathering on January 3, which will also include boat tours. The next hybrid Fleet Session will be on January 26; the subject will be announced in future updates.
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