High Tidings April 2022
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even the moorings look eager to get back in the water
Upcoming Events for April
April 16, 9:00 am – Spring Cleanup (Rain date is April 23)
April 23, 9:00 am – Boat prep / Rain date for Spring Cleanup
April 24, 4:00 pm – NCYC Annual Spring Meeting
April 24, 5:30 pm – Penny Lane Pub Get Together
April 30th, 9:00-12:00 – Marine Yard “Sail”
Commodore’s Remarks
This is the busiest time of year for the Club. There is always a lot of work to do to get the Club ready for the Commissioning and this year is no exception. As many of you know, during one of the storms it appears that the Club was hit by microburst. Thanks to Chris Bazinet for all the work that he has been doing with the insurance adjusters. He has written up the details further in this newsletter.
There are many jobs that need to be completed prior to the Commissioning. Karl Frost has been working with a roofing company and that work is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks. We need to patch water damage in several places inside the club house; the deck needs to be repaired, sanded, and painted; and we have a few boats that need a little additional love and Elio Betty is looking for help with the Launch.
While that all sounds like work, Ann and David Chan have been busy leading the Club fun. The Activities Committee has met and has organized several activities through July, while the Cruisers have met to organize cruising throughout the summer.
A reminder–your mooring should be ready to launch. Make sure you check to see if your mooring has been tagged by Scott Mitchell, NCYC Harbormaster. If tagged, you have some work to do!
Be sure to bookmark the NCYC calendar, Jon Mason has improved the Club calendar, so it is easy to view on your devices and it is also now very easy to print from the website. We are working hard to keep the calendar up to date.
Membership
Membership is always busy at this time of year. This month we welcome the Glynn’s: Kevin, Brittany and three-year-old daughter Margot to the Club. In addition, the Membership Committee is actively working on four more memberships.
Spring Cleanup
Spring Clean is Saturday April 16th with a rain date of April 23rd. This year we have lots of opportunities for carpenters and painters, as well as general tasks. Please sign up for a job here, or just stop by. There’s plenty for everyone!
Vice Commodore’s Remarks
Hope everyone is as excited as I am for the boating season to begin. Unfortunately with the storm damage to the club we have a few more tasks to accomplish at the club. At this Saturday’s work party, I hope we have some members with carpentry skills to work on replacing the broken deck railings. We will also be unstacking the whalers and applying bottom paint. Plus need some folks to scrape the loose peeling paint on the launch and also paint bottom of William T. A new to us motor has been installed in the WT. It’s still a two-stroke but newer with a lot less hours. Greg’s Outboard installed it and it matched up to the same controls so saved us a good bit of money. They took it on a test run up to Essex and back and reportedly runs very well.
One concept I’d like to start is weekly bring your own coffee & breakfast at the club for those lucky enough to be retired and anyone else that has a flexible schedule and would like to join in. I’ll throw out the first date of Wednesday April 19th at 0900? The concept is to enjoy a morning at the club, camaraderie with fellow members, talk boats, pass ideas, and possibly knock out a task or two? As we all know, the clubhouse is like our own houses and if it’s like mine, there is a never ending list of little projects.
Let’s see how this first one goes.
We can agree on picking a different day of the week or time if that is folks want to do.
Happy boat prepping !
Lou Vinciguerra, Vice Commodore
Microburst Update
As many of you know, over the evening of Tuesday, February 22 into Wednesday, February 23, we experienced very heavy winds which caused significant damage to our clubhouse. The flagpole was toppled, breaking off at the supports fixed to the deck. Both the lower and upper masts were damaged, along with the gaff and the light fixtures. The halyards were wrapped around the deck railing, which caused the top railing to be torn off and the remainder racked so as to be unsafe. We also lost several dozen roof shingle tabs which caused minor water damage inside. Finally, the windvane was blown off its mount which was bent over. We found the vane, but it too was damaged.
In total, the insurance adjusters determined there was over $50,000 worth of damage. As we were insured for full replacement value with a deductible of $10,000, we will ultimately receive over $40,000 in payments. This amount is contingent on us repairing or replacing the damaged items to new condition. Work is underway to get the club back in order.
The flagpole came to rest on the Carolina Skiff, which was stacked on the Boston Whaler. It appears that the Whaler was not damaged, but the Skiff has a couple small punctures in the hull. A plan is in place to repair this damage before Commissioning.
So in the end, thankfully no one was injured, but our task list for spring clubhouse prep has grown significantly.
Chris Bazinet, NCYC Board of Governors
Jr. Sailing
I'm excited to be writing my first update as the new Jr. Sailing Chair. First, I want to say thank you to Vice Commodore Lou Vinciguerra for his leadership of the Jr. Sailing Committee for the past several years. While he has decided to step down as chair, thankfully he has agreed to stay on to manage the small boat fleet. Phew!
There is a lot happening on the Jr Sailing front as we prepare for Summer 2022. All three sessions are FULL! I cannot recall the last time we were full this early; we already have several on a waitlist. The Committee is working on hiring our open instructor spot, filling Junior Instructor (JI) openings, and much more. A big thanks to our small-but- mighty-Committee that has been busy during the offseason.
One final note: the Jr. Sailing Committee will be having an in-person meeting on May 9th at 7pm at the clubhouse. We have lots to finish up for the season and are excited to be able to meet in person. New committee members are welcome!! Jr. Sailing is a fun way to be involved. Please reach out if you want to learn more or join us on May 9th!
Happy Spring,
Melissa Mason, Junior Sailing Chair
Thursday Night Racing
A meeting will be held the first Thursday in May (May 5th) at 6:00 PM at the clubhouse to discuss the 2022 Off Shore Racing season; and Thursday Night Racing will tentatively start the first Thursday of June (June 2.) Sailors, power boaters, and anyone who wants to crew on a boat are invited. In addition to our sailors, we also need those with power boats who can assist the Race Committee laying out the course, and anchoring the race markers. Hope to see you there!
On July 24, the North Cove Yacht Club will be hosting the "Outer Light Regatta" for the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association. The Club will need help from those with power boats in laying out the course and assisting sailors in the event that they break down or need emergency help. Participation of power boats during Thursday Night Racing will help volunteers get ready for the July 24th regatta which does require that certain skills be developed (like anchoring a mark at a certain point on the GPS, or per the Race Officers radio communicated direction.) Please contact either me (860-908-0378), or Rob Hathaway (860-575-2579) for more information.
The Thursday night racing and Outer Light Regatta has been very successful in recent years and with your help our Club will continue as a leader in the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association.
Joe Carroll, Racing Chair
Activities
Is it spring yet? We hope you all enjoyed the get together at the Surfridge Brewing Company East on April 8, organized by our commodore, Caroline. It was good to finally get out and dust off those cobwebs.
Coming up is the spring clean up on April 16 and the Annual spring meeting on April 24. See reminders online. The grounds clean-up is always an easy way to get the club spruced up and find out more about your fellow members. That starts at 0900. Come for all or part of the day.
The Annual meeting this year is at 1600 on Sunday the April 24, which will be followed by a gathering at Penny Lane Pub instead of the traditional afternoon coffee and cookies. So if you need coffee at 4pm you may want to bring yours with you this year.
The next Activities meeting is on June 4, at 10:30a.m at the clubhouse immediately following the new member orientation. Mark your calendars and plan to join us at the club for planning the rest of the season.
Don’t forget the tailgate marine yard “sail” organized by Deb Paulson and Peter Stump, on Saturday April 30th. See more information about this great free event in this newsletter. Thank you for doing this Deb and Peter.
The 53rd Commissioning is right around the corner on May 15 at 1600. We will again be asking members to supply an appetizer for the celebration that follows the Commissioning. If anyone would like to help with this event, please get in touch with Cathy or Ann.
Does anyone have a neat idea for a club event in place of North Cove Day on July 10? We would love to hear your thoughts. Also the first social gathering will be at 1800 on Friday May 27. Mark your calendars, it will be here before you know it.
Ann Chan & Cathy Murphy, Activities Co-chairs
enjoying food, drink, and friends at the surfridge brewery
Cruising News
ahhh, the cruising life
The first in-person Cruise Meeting was held on March 19 at the Acton Library in Old Saybrook. It was well attended and many thoughts & suggestions were put forth. We have compiled the first draft and our intent is to have the annual cruise from August 6 to August 21. Many thanks to the respective Port Captains who have researched and continue to bring us valuable information while at port. The annual cruise will evolve and we will meet again in the first half of May (April is a busy month with numerous club and personal activities) to further make incremental & continuous improvements to our schedule.
We have also made cruise plans for July 4th, Labor Day, Wine Cruise & Columbus Day. More details to follow.
The 2022 NCYC Cruise Itinerary is posted here and will be very helpful to reference for our next cruise meeting in May. All are welcome and we look forward to spreading the goodwill and cheer of cruising our familiar waters. Especially since the first part of the cruise includes ports around Narragansett Bay and the Vineyard which are easily accessible by car.
David Chan, Cruising Captain
Chandlery News
You can now choose any item at L.L.Bean Business to have our logo and burgee embroidered with one of the two design colors shown below, pay for it, and have it shipped to your home address! You can also reach them by phone at 800-832-1889
Best regards, Greg Nickett
Company Name: NORTH COVE YACHT CLUB INC , CSS# 677682 Blue letters Design# and Color-way(s): 205431 / cw 1 Logo Size: 2.12” w x 2.02”h
Gold letters Design# and Color-way(s): 205431 / cw 2 Logo Size: 2.12” w x 2.02”h
Help Make Your Launch Beautiful!
Our launch could use a bit of sprucing up. We all enjoy its lovely design and utility, and it reflects well on our club that it be shipshape. How about chipping in to do a bit of paint or varnish this spring? The only special skills required are ones you already have from maintaining your own boat. It’s the kind of thing that you can do for an hour or two a few times this spring and make a real difference.
Top priorities are to prep and paint the deck and seats, as well as refresh the varnish all around. Please let Elio Betty know if you are willing to help. Many hands make light work. Thanks!
Marine Yard “Sail”
On Saturday, April 30, from 9:00 to 12:00, we will hold a yard sale of boating items selling from your car trunk, in the NCYC parking lot. Bring your surplus boat and sailing gear; bring your want list! Note: all unsold/ungifted items MUST be brought back home with you-no dumping in the dumpster.
Peter Stump
Some items that will be there:
VHF radio, sends GPS Position and remote mic for the radio
SST boarding/swim ladder extension
mast ladder, goes up sail track
extra fenders, boat hook, etc.
good dingy outboard, 2.7 HP 2-stroke
decent inflatable, 7-foot w/OB bracket
Simrad setup
ScanStrut backstay mount for radar
manual anchor windlass
fiberglass dinghy
Sailing Nostalgia
by Jon Mason
It took me to adulthood to realize that someone else's sailing story starts with, “A bearded man just cut our anchor line!” But I am getting ahead of myself.
It was 1980 and our family of four sailed from Noank to Friendship, Maine for “Friendship Homecoming” a yearly event that brought Friendship sloops back home for a few days of racing. Ours was a gaff-rigged 1972 Bruno & Stillman fiberglass and to this day when I doodle, I end up drawing this boat. Spring would see my parents spending more time and money on varnish than anything else and seemed to cure my nine-year-old self from ever wanting a boat with lots of teak.
On our trip northward, we sailed into Gloucester harbor and set anchor. We quickly went to shore and walked around town until after nightfall. We got back to the boat and my four-year-old brother and I climbed into our bunks, exhausted from the day. No sooner had I shut my eyes when I was awoken by my nervous (and I should add here: night blind) Mom. Mom was a reluctant sailor - afraid of the water, didn’t like heeling, and seemed less than convinced that my Dad knew what he was doing. She instructed me to get my life jacket on, then put my brother’s on him. “Anchor is dragging.”
As I struggled to get a life jacket on my slumbering four-year-old brother, my Dad headed up the companionway stairs and yelled, “we’re moving backwards like a freight train,” to my mom who was now right behind him and moving to the helm. “Gardner (my Dad), I can’t see in the dark,” my mom called out as she grabbed the wheel. By this time, I was on deck trying to be a helpful nine-year-old next to my Mom. I could see my Dad on the bow, brandishing the knife he wore on his belt, “I am going to have to cut some - there’s lines wrapped around the bowsprit,” he yelled. I couldn’t see much in the inky night and I was pretty sure my Mom, with her hands on the wheel, could see less.
Soon, with the cutting done and our anchor stowed, Dad was back at the helm and we made a few circles (later, I’d learn he was looking for boats in distress, thanks to his knife) and eventually we puttered from the anchorage and dropped anchor in a spot by the mouth of the harbor. Both my parents scanned for boats, though it wasn’t clear to me if they were looking to help someone or just looking to see if the cops were coming.
At some point the next day, Dad explained to me that somehow our anchor had dragged, and in doing so caught a few other anchor lines. In the dark, he was unable to untangle us, so he cut what he could. He looked me in the eyes and explained he looked for any other vessels in distress but didn’t see any.
But we still skinked away at first light like we’d cut a few boats anchorlines…
From the Editor
Do you have a maritime story you’d like to share ? Do you have a favorite maritime book? Do you have Club related news or pictures? Please email me and let me know.
Deb Paulson, Newsletter Editor