High Tidings November 2023
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Upcoming Events
November 4, 4:00 – Fall Annual Meeting and Social
November 5 – Club closed for the season
November 11, – Club cleanup and boat storage
November 21, 6:30 – Board of Governors Meeting
Commodore Remarks
What a great turn out at NCYC’s first FriendsGiving event last Saturday. I can attest that no one walked away hungry. The turkeys were slow cooking all day and the clubhouse smelled like a Thanksgiving morning. Attendees showed up with a large assortment of side dishes, corn breads, and desserts to try. Many requests to exchange recipes. Not bragging but my 9x13 corn casserole was a hit and have responded to no less six requests. Thanks to our activities committee for putting on this fun event.
So by the time you read this, if you’re a mooring holder your boat is somewhere on the hard ready for a snowy winter (Sorry, I’m itching to get on my skies so hoping for snow : ). Time to winterize and tuck them in with love and covers till next spring. Maybe a few winter projects?
I hope to see many of you at our Fall Annual Meeting on Saturday November 4th at 4pm followed by a BYOB social and bring an appetizer to share.
After that is our Fall annual NCYC clean-up event on Saturday November 11th. Lots of projects: pulling the whalers out of the water, storing the small boats, cleaning the grounds and the clubhouse interior. And we will have some targeted projects lined up for those with tools, and skills, and interest. More word on that coming out soon.
I’m hearing some interest in having a gathering at the club following the Torch Light Parade in Old Saybrook. If you haven’t been, it’s quite a show with many fife and drum corps from around the region plus holiday season floats. The club will be winterized at that time meaning no running water but maybe a small bonfire to gather around and keep warm? Stay tuned for more details. Look for emails and I always encourage members to check the club calendar on the website northcoveyc.com for the latest information.
Vice Commodore Remarks
Books, Bites, and Beaches
Most of us have had our boats hauled for the year. How quickly the season passes! So I’d like to talk about two great books that take place by the water. Both books are on the bookshelf at the club.
The Mermaid’s Chair, by Susan Monk Kidd, is set on Egret Island off the coast of South Carolina. The main character, Jessie, is called back to her childhood home to care for her mother. Jessie’s life gets complicated quickly. There is a Benedictine Monastery on the island which plays a prominent role in the story.
Bad Summer People, by Emma Rosenblum, is a book I picked up on the club cruise this summer. I finally got around to reading it and couldn’t put it down. It is Rosenblum’s first novel, a story about a summer on Fire Island and the secrets of the returning summer crowd. I can’t help but wonder if she modeled the characters after people she has known on the island. They probably are not speaking to her if she did!
Lou, Len, and I had lunch recently at 745 Osteria, a relatively new Italian restaurant on Boston Post Road in Old Saybrook. The soups are delicious and the pizza is fantastic. Lou’s favorite appetizer is focaccia bread served with four different toppings. We highly recommend a trip!
Mystic is a lovely day trip off-season. On the club cruise to Mystic Seaport on Labor Day weekend, Peter Stump, Rob, and I went into town and ate at the Mariner Restaurant located near the drawbridge. All of the soups and entrees are made in house and worth the wait. We had the chowders and the specials. Everything was delicious.
Just a note that the beaches in Connecticut and Rhode Island are open at no charge off-season and are a great place to fill that urge to go down to the sea. Charlestown, Napatree, and Misquamicut are my favorite Rhode Island beaches. Everyone knows Hammonasset Beach in Madison but do you know about the grounds at Mercy by the Sea? Located off Neck Road in Madison, it is waterfront property with beautiful grounds to walk, sit, and spend some quiet time. The grounds are open to the public during the day. They ask that you check in at the front desk and let them know you are there. No dogs allowed. They offer meals in the dining room overlooking the water at a nominal fee. I stayed overnight for a conference and was impressed with the hotel-like accommodations and spectacular views. It is another great and local place to go for a walk by the sea.
Mercy by the sea
Two Open Positions for next year:
1. We are looking for a person to run the Chandlery, our club’s store. The position involves checking inventory, ordering stock online, and selling items at events during the summer. The purpose of the Chandlery is twofold. Wearing the club logo is a way to promote our club off grounds, and we make a small profit. It is a seasonal position and great if you are at the club during the summer. Please let me know if you are interested.
1. We are looking for a Chairperson to manage the clubhouse next year. The position requires the person to check the clubhouse weekly, to order paper goods and cleaning supplies, and most importantly, to perform or designate someone to perform routine maintenance and repairs. Contact me if interested.
Launch Operations Report
Well, here we are again at the end of another boating season with the cooler weather setting in and morning fog rolling over the Connecticut River and our North Cove. There are still a few chores ahead in closing-up, winterizing our boats for the cold season ahead, and enjoying a few more days and evenings of camaraderie and fellowship at NCYC.
The past summer brought us rain and coastal storms that seemed to haunt every weekend in some way. The mid-season flooding and heavy river debris kept us on our moorings for a spell, but I hope you all got those trips within the weather windows and made the best of it. In true North Cove fashion, I think we all did alright.
As we look back on the summer and your boating season, take some time to remember your voyages starting off and returning to the shelter of NCYC. Please stand with me and extend a heartfelt thank you to our crew of Launch Captains for their hard work, reliability, and loyalty to the stewardship of the club throughout the season.
I would also like to thank our crew of credentialed club members that filled open schedule slots on occasion and ensured a seamless launch operation for the club. Thank you to Dave Miller, Len van Vliet, Dave Chan, Water Gayeski, and RJ Lavallee.
I’m going to recycle a few words from my past report for our newer members because I think it’s important that everyone is aware: Our core group of Launch Captains not only get us to and from our boats safely but serve a dual role as Club Stewards ensuring that the club is open and a welcoming and relaxing place for our members and guests. At the day’s end they are responsible for closing the club and ensuring that all is secured for the night. I want to take this opportunity to offer our Steward’s home addresses noted below. There may have been an occasion where you received exceptional service or perhaps there were several trips to and from your boats with guests, gear, and baggage in good and poor weather. There certainly was a good share of poor weather this past season. Our Stewards may also have assisted you with docking on the waterfront. Here’s an opportunity to say we didn’t forget, and thanks for being there when we needed you. Gratuities are not required here at North Cove, however it’s always nice to offer a note with some kind-words and a little something extra to close out the season.
On behalf of all the Stewards, I thank you for the kindness and patience you showed through the season. North Cove Yacht Club members remain a great group of Old Salts! Cheers to another enjoyable and rewarding season at our stern. Our memories on the water, good times, and the friendships we’ve made along the way will surely last a lifetime. I wish you and your families a very safe and enjoyable winter. I look forward to seeing you all at our next gathering.
Cheers,
Bill Porter / Launch Operations
Our NCYC Club Stewards / Launch Captains
Tatiana Anderson (Tanya)
32 River Road
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Stefan Golicz
536 Main Street
Old Saybrook, CT. 06457
Steven Lee
2 Maynard Circle
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Jack Cardello
2 Deerfield Road
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Activities
Friendsgiving 2023
What a perfect way to close our season at the club by breaking bread together and sharing a Friendsgiving meal! It was a beautiful, warm evening and the almost full moon rose over the cove and gave it a magical sheen. Lucy had that kitchen hopping as she roasted three turkeys in the ovens. The aroma of roasting turkey greeted you as you entered the club and it immediately made you hungry! And it’s a good thing too, because there was so much food! And wow, what incredibly good food it was! It was all so good I couldn’t possibly call out any one recipe as a favorite.
Our turkey carvers Len Van Vliet and Tom Tydeman must have eaten their Wheaties that day because not only did they have the three turkeys at the club to carve, there was another 30lb bird and 2 hotel breasts that were roasted off site. Kudos gents!! You did a great job!
It was also so special to have Jean Golicz bless our meal.
It was wonderful to meet new members, potential new members, and reconnect with club members and old friends.
And in the spirit of giving, everyone was very generous with the donations to the food bank. I was able to drop off six bags of food to the Old Saybrook Food Bank!!
Finally, I would like to say thank you for this year! There were a few challenges but we had a lot of fun! I would also like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my co-chair and friend Lucy Armstrong. She made everything look so beautiful and worked extra hard to make each event special. Sadly, this was her last event as co-chair. Life happens and she is now a VERY busy grandmother of four!! So, I am extra grateful for the success of her final event.
Stay warm and safe this winter with dreams of warm breezes and sunny days on the sound and we will all be together next Spring!
From the Fleet Captain’s Desk
The cold weather is upon us and daylight is getting shorter as we contemplate the winter chores for a brighter summer of 2024. Here’s one that will possibly make our summer access to our moorings a little more pleasant:
We are working on the logistics to get our clubhouse USCG approved to conduct USCG certified classes by a certified vendor. Of interest is the 2-day USCG Launch Tender Course. Other possibilities are the Master 100T and the OUPV 100T Upgrade.
Please drop me an email at david-chan@comcast.net if you have any interest in taking the 2-day USCG Launch Tender Course. We look forward to more licensed and certified members who may be available to supplement our regular launch captains. We found out this year that shorter shifts were pleasantly welcomed and the emergency vacant slots were filled up quite easily. Most members did not even notice the different & shorter shifts. Launch disruptions were noticeably less frequent and a few races were serviced by the launch instead of the William T. The launch is quite a bit safer & more comfortable than using the skiff, whaler or RIB. Not to mention, the greater passenger capacity of the launch. If we do get a handful of certified launch captains, we will look into the possibility of expanding our present launch schedule. That is our hope & plan for the 2024 NCYC Fleet. As usual, the Homeland Security administered TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) card is required as well as the customary drug and health/fitness screening. [Ed. Note. Oops, just had a poppy seed muffin.]
Look forward to hearing from our fleet and more importantly, many thanks to our launch captains for the pleasant rides to and from our moorings.
Sincerely,
David
The Restoration of the 160 Year Old Plum Island Lighthouse
by Dr. Tod Companion, Director of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center
The Plum island lighthouse as it looks today
In late 2022 and early 2023, the historic Plum Island Lighthouse was restored and stabilized to preserve its historical significance as a symbol of maritime heritage in the region. This restoration was coordinated by the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Department of Homeland Security, the New York State Historic Preservation Office, and the Federal Field Services. The actual restoration work was undertaken by an experienced team of subcontractors, including International Chimney Corporation, Renaissance Cornice, and NTM Enterprises. A third party, GNCB Consulting Engineers, was used to confirm that the stabilization work conformed to historic preservation standards and guidelines as laid out by the Department of the Interior.
While strictly speaking, the project was a stabilization project, every effort was made to ensure that the materials used were consistent with the historic fabric of the lighthouse, matching as closely as possible the materials used during its construction in the 1860’s. This included ensuring that the length of copper nails, the size of nail heads, and the thickness of slate shingles were correct. Local sources were identified, when possible, but to ensure historic integrity, the slate and cedar shingles came from as far as Vermont and Alaska. We’ve also learned a thing or two about structural engineering in the last 160 years. While adhering closely to the original construction, variances were granted to ensure the longevity of materials. This included coating copper nails with lead to prevent chemical reactions and protect the cedar shake and adding drain holes to the iron work to prevent rust.
Onsite work was completed in two phases between September–December 2022, and March–May 2023. During the winter months, the site was winterized with a temporary cap placed on the roof. The iron tower, gallery, deck, and copula–the combination of which is three stories tall and weighs more than 35,000 pounds–was removed, disassembled, inventoried, metal tagged, crated, and shipped to Robinson Iron in Alabama. While there, the lead paint was removed and pieces of the tower were inspected, repaired if possible, and recast if necessary. Upon return to the island, the iron pieces were reinstalled using a 127-foot rotator or crane.
The whole Plum Island community rallied around this project, with each individual and department involved working to identify efficiencies for the improvement and betterment of the lighthouse. The time savings achieved through these efficiencies enabled the team to increase the scope of the project–including updates to the rakes that improved the integrity of the slate roof–adding value at no additional cost. With stabilization work complete, these repairs to the Plum Island lighthouse are expected to last for 75–100 years, preserving a regional cultural asset and ensuring this symbol of the island survives for the neighboring communities.
[Ed. Note: The editor wishes to extend a big thank you to Chris Bazinet for his role in bringing this article to High Tidings.]
the lighthouse before restoration
ANd after restoration
And For Those Cold Dark Days, Let’s Learn a New Skill!
Make Mine a Double
Mooring warps, halyards, sheets, and plenty of other lines aboard all use double braid. Learn the DIY trick of creating an eye splice to avoid weak knots while saving money
Article & Photos by Mark Corke
Knots in lines are fine for occasional use, but a splice is better for more permanent use. A splice looks more seamanlike and doesn’t affect the strength of the line nearly as much as a knot. Many lines these days are what are known as double braid – essentially an inner core with a cover on the outside. The core and cover share the load equally. Here’s how to put an eye splice in double-braid line.
Difficulty
Moderate to high
Materials
Double-braid line
Tools
Double braid splicing fids
Scissors
Knife
Masking tape
Permanent marker
Time
About 30 mins, but you will get faster with practice
Cost
Nothing, if you already have the tools and materials. A set of five good quality fids is around $50
Step 1. Tie a slipknot about 15 feet from the end of the line, and loop it over a winch or cleat to hold it. Make a mark on the line one fid-length from the end.
Step 2. Form a loop or eye to the desired size then place a second mark opposite the first.
Step 3. Using a small fid, separate the strands of the cover at the second mark and pull out the core. (If the end of the line was melted when it was originally cut to length, trim this off with a sharp knife so the core moves freely.) Lay the cord and the cover alongside each other.
Step 4. Mark the core where it comes out of the cover (your third mark), then pull out a couple feet more and place a fourth mark on the core two-thirds of a fid length from the one you just made. That’s where you will be inserting the cover into the core.
Step 5. Wedge the end of the core into the hollow end of a fid that matches the diameter of your line, then push the fid into the cover at the first mark. Work the fid down so that it exits the cover 1 to 2 inches past where the core exits.
Step 6. Pull about 6 inches of the core out of the hole. This begins to form your loop. Make sure that both sections of core are not snagged on one another and freely move within the core.
Step 7. Now, wedge the end of the cover into the fid, then feed it into the core at the second mark. Work it down one complete fid length before pulling it out of the core.
Step 8. Starting about 4 inches from the end, use a small fid to pull out alternate strands from the cover before trimming them off with scissors. This creates a neat splice with a taper.
Step 9. Pull on the end of the exposed core as you massage the junction of the core to cover the joint.
Step 10. To finish off the splice, work the cover back up the line until the exposed core with the cover inside pops back into the line. Pull a little on the core still hanging outside the line, trim with scissors, then tug on the eye to set the end back inside the core.
This article was reprinted with permission from BoatU.S. Magazine, flagship publication of the membership organization Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). For more expert articles and videos to make your boating, sailing, or fishing better, visit Boatus.com.
[Ed. Note. There, that was easy, wasn’t it? Yikes. I’m going to try this this winter-it’s a challenge now.]
Thanks, as always, to everyone who contributed to this issue of High Tidings. Photos are by: ASRC Federal (Plum Island lighthouse photos) Melissa Clark, Walt Gayeski, Jean Golicz, Chris Griffin, Dan O’Malley, Linda Tuzzio.