High Tidings September 2022
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In Memoriam
Peggy Stump
May 17, 1948-August 16, 2022
Everyone is invited to a memorial service for Peggy at NCYC on October 1st at noon.
Commodore Remarks
Upcoming events for September and October
Saturday September 10 @ 11 am Anne Troy Belle 8 Race
Sunday September 11 @ 4 pm Pizza Truck
Restorative Yoga Tuesdays at 5:30 pm – September 13, 20, 27
Wednesday evenings – Grill night
Thursday evenings – Thursday Night Racing
Yoga Fridays at 9:00 am - September 9, 16, 23, 30
September 17 and 18 – Mattituck Wine Tasting
Friday September 30 6:00 pm – Octoberfest with Pete Jenkins and his band.
Saturday October 1st 12:00 noon – Memorial for Peggy Stump – all are welcome to attend
Tuesday October 4th – NCYC Board Meeting @ the Club
Friday October 28th 6:00 pm – Friday Night Social
Check the calendar for late season launch hours
Bookmark the NCYC Calendar: https://www.northcoveyc.com/calendar
I hope everyone enjoyed August as much as the Commodore and her family. We were lucky to be away much of August starting with the club cruise. In all my years cruising with NCYC, this was one for the record books. More boats signed up for this cruise then we have ever had. However, due to weather, mechanical, and health issues, the cruise size decreased. And as soon as the boats set sail, a couple boats had to turn back due to mechanical issues.
We arrived in Pt. Judith Pond, a normally calm spot, to white caps splashing across of bows of our boats. Don’t think the waves deterred the hearty boaters, we still managed to dinghy to Pau Hana for a wonderful happy hour aboard Jen and Karl Frost’s new boat.
happy hour on pau hana. Nothing interferes with happy hour. nothing.
The next day, due to the expected (crappy) weather, the cruise moved early to Dutch Harbor on Narraganset Bay.
In spite of the heat at the boatyard, Sea Horse was able to entertain everyone with an ample supply of mudslides served under the shade of a beautiful boat out for repair.
The fixin’s
the process
the happy result
Walt and Suzanne caught their mooring just before the storm. And later, there was a beautiful sunset.
And then there was the bagpiper…
The wind gods still appeared to be angry because for the next two weeks there was crazy winds and seas. The one-week cruisers abandoned the rest of the cruise and moved from Dutch Harbor to Block Island where they happily spent their time clamming, beaching, and socializing.
Avanti and Whimsea made it to Edgartown (though not at the same time) and Sea Horse gets the award for most closely following the cruise itinerary and running into the most North Cove Boats (but never where they were supposed to be). Once again everyone enjoyed their voyage, and we hope you enjoy our photos.
the commodore would like everyone to notice the lovely grass in front of the Rhode Island Yacht Club.
I hope to see everyone at some of the events this month. This weekend is the Belle 8 and the Amazing Pizza Truck. Next weekend is Mattituck. Cheryl Miller is leading Yoga on Tuesdays and Fridays for September. Wednesday Grill Night and Thursday Racing continue, and the last Friday of September is Octoberfest with Pete Jenkin and his band.
This time of year is busy for the Board and over the next few months we will be developing a budget and finalizing the list of projects that will need to be completed this year and next. Several of these projects can be done by individual members on their own time. Please look through the projects and sign up for what you can. Remember we are a volunteer yacht club and your participation is critical to keeping our dues down.
Projects include:
· Winter launch parties
· Club screen and window fixes
· Update outboard motor rack
· Upgrade sail lockers
· Work with team to build dumpster cover
· And more…
Also, Lou is looking for help to Launch the O’Day 18 on Tuesday September 13th @ 10 am. The plan is to meet at Club at 10 AM to rig and then take to the O’Day to launch ramp on North Cove Road. We want to use this boat for the adult sailing program next year and want to confirm it floats 😊. Let Lou know if you are available at 860-510-6128
Over the next few months, the Board will be looking at the Outer Light Regatta. We are looking to put together a team to review the budget, outreach and marketing, the regatta, and the party. I will be reaching out to members to help assist with next year’s planning. This is a big event and in the past, it has been a big fund raiser for the club. Because this is an Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association (ESCA) event, it provides our Yacht Club with a level of legitimacy and respect within the Sailing Community. It is our hope to keep running this event in the future, but it takes significant effort and resources.
Membership
North Cove welcomes our 16th new membership for 2022. Please join us in welcoming Mark Yuknat and Mindy Hill to NCYC.
Usually at this time of year, the Membership Committee is winding down, but not this year. I am happy to report that we still have several families in the process of pursuing membership.
Anne Troy Belle 8 Race
Saturday September 10th is a day for all of North Cove's female sailors to shine. The Belle 8 race features a woman at the helm for the entire race. Come join us at the mouth of the river as we race to Bell 8. The specific course is to be determined by the race committee and dependent on weather direction and tide.
After the race, join us for refreshments and awards, $5 suggested donation.
Skippers Meeting: 1100 on the Deck 9/10
First Warning (race starts): 1200 near the Outer Light 9/10
After Party: TBD – this will be announced at the Skippers Meeting
Sign up to race by contacting Amy V. 860-395-7625
Plenty of boats are still looking for crew! If you are interested in sailing on a boat (male and female crew welcome!) please contact Amy Vinciguerra at 860-395-7625
Mattituck “Triathlon-Cruise, Bike and Wine Tour
September 17 and 18th - Send Caroline Miller an email if you are attending (c.d.miller@comcast.net)
Anchor or Dock at Transient Dockage Strong's Marine (strongsmarine.com). Bring bikes or rent bikes there.
Launch License
If you have time this winter, you may be interested in getting your launch license. There are several on-line and in-person courses available:
https://northeastmaritimeonline.com/launch-operator/
https://www.northeastmaritime.com/maritime-training/courses/launch-operator/
https://www.nemaritime.com/launchtender.html
There are several courses that allows you to receive a license to drive the Club launch –
USCG Approved Limited Master (Launch Tender) License
USCG Approved Master 25/50/100 Ton In land Waters:
The NCYC launch is an inspected vehicle so you must be 18 to get your license.
If you have any questions, reach out to David Chan. David and Mark Raffa took the course last winter. Congratulation to Captain Chan who just received his Coast Guard Master’s License
Labor Day Cruise to Mystic Seaport
The Club had a fun trip to Mystic Seaport for Labor Day. Some came by sea, and some came by land. Saturday night’s potluck unexpectedly turned into a Mediterranean cuisine night. Sunday was a busy day with a Seaport Behind the Scenes Tour with Duck Island and Essex Yacht Clubs; David Miller prepared a scavenger hunt; Walter Gayesky arranged a ride on an electric Duffy 22 Bay Island that he hopes to see as our launch someday, and we finished the day with Sea Horse Mud slides (ed. note: “Again??”) and happy hour. We hope to see everyone at Mystic next year.
Activities
August can be a sleepy month for club activities but it doesn’t mean our members are inactive. The club cruise took place last month, so many members were away for that. Others, though not on the club cruise, were also out on the water, lazing on their boats or busy with all the fun that summer brings. The August social gathering did just take place. It was a good old fashioned potluck with a blind “classy” boxed wine taste testing. The tasting was a HOOT and enjoyed by all.
Ask Caroline when you see her, which boxed wine won the most votes. Thank you, Commodore for organizing and running this gathering. And thank you to everyone who helped and volunteered. As summer winds down and schools get back in session, many will adopt new or old routines. The club will still be open for a few more months, so make sure to utilize it and come to one of the upcoming events.
ON THE RADAR
September 11, 1600, Sunday - Frank Andrews Mobile Kitchen = PIZZA Truck
This is an often suggested activity. For $25 you will get all the pizza you can eat, there will be at least 5 to choose from, salad and dessert. It is BYOB and bring your preferred beverage container as well. Everything else will be supplied. Other than that you can just show up with your cash at the door to pay, BUT we need to know in advance that you will be attending. We need sign ups by September 6th. After that, we may or may not be able to squeeze you in, so look for the sign up on weekly happenings, notices or use this link now.
September 13, 1830 - Activities Meeting This SHORT meeting will follow the Tuesday night yoga session. We need to firm up a few things for the remainder of the year. Please try to attend and if you are taking the yoga, planning on staying a little longer after it’s done. Or come for the yoga and stay, you don’t have to pre register for the yoga session. Namaste
September 30 1800, Friday - Monthly Social Gathering = Oktoberfest 🍺
This social gathering is always a fun time. Once again Peter Jenkins has secured his OOMPAH Band, to supply the traditional music. There will be BRATS, SAUERKRAUT and POTATO SALAD among other items for a donation. Last year this was a sell out event, so mark your calendars and make sure to watch for the sign up. Lauren and Rich Peters are the Commandants for this event, and they could use lots of hands to make light work. Please email them at lpeters89@optimum.net (Lauren) or (Rich) at rcp222@yahoo.com, to tell them you want to be part of the fun group that pulls this all together. They will need to know how many people are coming, so make sure to sign up in advance.
September YOGA at the clubhouse:
Tuesdays from 1730-1830, Sept. 6,13,20&27
Fridays from 09:00-10:00, Sept 2,9,16,23 &30.
For the month of September, join fellow club member Cheryl Miller as she leads you through either a restorative class on Tuesday evenings or a slow vinyasa flow class on Friday mornings. Bring a mat, and towel or blanket. Blocks if you have them. Did we mention that it is FREE for club members? See the weekly happenings letter for the links or use this one right here. There is a brief description on the sign up link, or you can email Cheryl at clmiller2008@aol.com with any questions.
Phew! That’s a lot of activity to think about. Now go sign up for all these events and let us know you want to help. If you said you would help with a social gathering, there are only a few more get togethers left to volunteer for. And any time you are at an event or see something fun at the club, please take a snapshot and share it with us or our editor, Deb Paulson.
Thank you to all our volunteers and committee members. We couldn’t do it without you!
DON’T FORGET TO JOIN ACTIVITIES FOR A SHORT IMPORTANT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 13TH AT 6:30/ 1830 FOLLOWING YOGA.
Ann Chan & Cathy Murphy
Activities Co-chairs
The Fun Facts Section
Jon Mason
Thursday Night Racing
Sailors at North Cove Yacht Club are blessed to reside and riot on the sea where we go down to it in our boats; to and fro ploughing it as our own special plantation; our home which will not be overwhelmed by the ever increasing sea level.
Herman Melville wrote in Moby Dick: “Take almost any path you please, and ten to one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in the stream. There is magic in it. Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries-stand the man on his legs, set his feet a going, and he will infallibility lead you to water, if water there be in all that region. Should you ever be athirst in the great American desert, try this experiment, if your caravan happens to be supplied with a metaphysical professor. Yes, as everyone knows, meditation and water are wedded forever…”
Also, Henry David Thoreau wrote about his longing to be sailing in “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”. In this book Thoreau relates his experiences sailing with his brother on a sailing journey from Concord Massachusetts to Concord New Hampshire and back in which he made observations about the need to prevent insult to the environment caused by the early industrial revolution. Among the Transcendentalists, Thoreau is considered the father of the Environmentalism and Conservation movement.
Today is Labor Day, 2022. I am typing this article for High Tidings from my kitchen table in Madaket, Nantucket Island. My writing surface overlooks the raging & turbulent Atlantic Ocean, the sun is shining brightly in the east, the sky is hazy, and just offshore the seals are eating striped bass and blue fish one after another with no regard for man’s laws concerning the size of the fish, or fishing limits. Also, the Nantucket seals are keeping a watch for sharks. It is hardly ever reported about the menace that seals are to sharks. The seals encircle a shark and attack it-devouring it. Much like the wolf did to “Little Red Riding Hood” and her grandmother.
As each day in September progresses, the daylight hours become less than the previous day. Today, sunset on Nantucket is at 7:07pm and complete darkness is at 7:35pm. Unfortunately, this causes a problem for our Thursday night racing program since most of us desire to be back at the clubhouse when the sun is still up. Thankfully, there is still plenty of weekend sailboat racing ahead for those who can’t get enough of it. For example, there are the following weekend races that are nearby for this fall:
· Anne Troy-Belle 8 race at NCYC on Saturday September 10, 2022. A woman needs to be at the helm
· Essex Corinthian Yacht Club’s Cross Sound Challenge on September 24.
Connecticut River Races in October:
· Essex Yacht Club’s Willet Race (10/2)
· Tom Clark Memorial Race Essex Corinthian Yacht Club (10/8)
· Ed Birch Memorial Regatta Essex Corinthian Yacht Club (10/15)
Duck Island Yacht Club’ Thundermug Regatta Saturday October 15, 2022.
Also, frost bite racing at Essex Yacht Club and Essex Corinthian YC on Sundays for most of the winter. Check out participating in this racing to hone your skills for next summer.
Next July NCYC will again be sponsoring the Outer Light Regatta. A committee will soon be formulated to plan and execute this regatta which has the potential to be a great money raising event for NCYC. In recent years, there has only been one or two people on this committee and it represents a lot of work for them. Work is getting sponsors, preparing for the party, and getting the regatta itself to be successful. It is said that more hands make light work. The Outer Light needs your help. We are a yacht club, and one of the ways to keep NCYC at the forefront of being a sailboat racing club is to participate in the Eastern Connecticut Racing Association’s sailing regattas. So, please consider participating in the planning of next year’s Outer Light Regatta. No experience is necessary. You can see Amy Vinciguerra or me to participate on the Outer Light Regatta Committee.
Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe Autumn of sailing.
Joe Carroll, 860-908-0378
Jr. Sailing Program
From the Chaplain’s Little Corner of the Cove
O, to take what we love inside,
To carry within us an orchard, to eat
Not only the skin, but the shade,
Not only the sugar, but the days,
To hold the fruit in our hands, adore it,
Then bite into the round jubilance of peach.
Excerpt from Blossoms by Li-Young Lee
May you harvest the warmth of these lingering summer days to nourish you throughout the coming months.
A Steward’s Tale
Stefan Golicz
This morning, Thursday, August 15th, 2022, we had a stowaway.
Around 0830 hours, I was uncovering the launch when I noticed a brown and black striped furry object on the starboard stern sheets. The first thing that popped into my mind was, "Did Tanya find a coon skin cap floating in the cove?"
I looked under the half-removed cover and was astonished to see a pair of little black beady angry eyes staring back at me. A stowaway raccoon had occupied our beloved Yacht Club Launch.
Jumping off the launch, I decided that the appropriate action was to vacate the dock immediately. I hoped the stowaway would conclude that his new house was unsuitable.
I yelled at the stowaway, rocked the launch, and retreated to the clubhouse for another waiting period. After 15 minutes, I decided to check. Our new guest was still enjoying his new home.
I cautiously approached the launch and proceeded to remove the stern cover and was in the process of folding the cover when to my surprise, a little head popped up behind the quarter seats between a couple of life vests. My cardiologist would not have been happy, be assured. You should have seen me jump out of the launch and head up the dock.
After another round of vulgar language directed at our unwanted Stowaway,
like i would hurt anything on that lovely launch. Jeez,
I devised a plan. I obtained a boat hook to hold the intruder at bay and removed the bow cover. I then proceeded to slowly, much to our new members' dismay, remove life vests from the launch. After most of the life vests had been thrown onto the dock, I performed a strategic retreat.
I had some coffee and contemplated my next move. Our esteemed vice commodore arrived and asked why life vests were on the dock. I related the morning events, and when we checked to see if our new resident had finally departed, we found an empty boat. We discussed the situation and determined that 30 minutes was the appropriate time to assure that our recent stowaway would not return.
After returning the life vests to their proper Coast Guard-approved storage areas on the North Cove Launch, I was relieved to report that the launch had resumed its regular operating schedule.
From the Newsletter Editor
Please send along stories, observations, photos, news, and what-have-you’s to Deb Paulson 860-581-0713 or debrasachs247@gmail.com. Thank you!
Photo contributors: Ann Chan, Rob Hathaway, Melissa Mason, Caroline Miller, David Miller, Cheryl Miller, Deb Paulson, Peter Stump, Linda Tuzzio, Janet Vinciguerra. (Sorry if I missed anyone, especially if your last name is Miller. Please let me know.)