High Tidings November/December 2024
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outgoing commodore Lou Vinciguerra addresses the membership
Upcoming Events
Sunday 11/10 – Club closes for the season
Saturday 12/14 5:30 – Old Saybrook Torchlight Parade/get together at Penny Lane Pub
Commodore Remarks
welcome Linda Tuzzio, commodore
We had another great turnout at our recent Friendsgiving Dinner. The clubhouse smelled like turkey and apple crisp when I arrived and the food was plentiful and delicious. There were four or five homemade stuffings, several yam and sweet potato casseroles, a variety of cranberry sauces, plenty of turkey, and many other tasty side dishes as well as desserts. Many thanks to the Activities Committee for putting on this event.
The fall Annual Meeting was well attended. We honored Lou Vinciguerra as he completed his two years as Commodore and now takes on the role of Immediate Past Commodore. We thanked Len van Vliet for his thoughtful and competent service to the club as Rear Commodore these last two years, and we welcomed in the new Vice Commodore, Melissa Mason (in absentia) and Rear Commodore, Deb Paulson. We thanked Joe Carroll for his continuing service as Club Secretary, and Jon Waanders for his continued service as Club Treasurer, and our Barrister, Dwight Merriam, for his excellent attention to our legal matters. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to keep our Club thriving.
After the meeting, the appetizers and social hour lasted well into the evening. Warm weather and a beautiful sunset kept us lingering just a while longer.
Congratulations to Deb Paulson, recipient of the Commodore’s Trophy!
This past season, Deb worked on the launch brightwork; sewed new cushions and pillows for the club–along with Suzanne Miller and Cathy Murphy (and with Rich Peters’ decorating eye) attended and photographed at most Club events, participated in Thursday Night Racing, helped with our Outer Light regatta, and of course, she edits and puts together our NCYC magazine, High Tidings. Thank you for your contributions, Deb!
Many boats are off their moorings for the season with a few still in the cove. Please remember to put an orange streamer on your mooring before you vacate it for the season. This tells the contractor who removes the moorings to put your mooring on the club property, not the town dock. All boats must be off their mooring by the end of the day November 17. The contractor is coming on the 18th to pull moorings. Also, please take your dinghy, motor, and gasoline home. They do not winter over well at the club with the high tides flooding the bulkhead and parking lot and the understorage of the club. NCYC will keep one of the small boats in the water for member use until November 17.
Soon you will be receiving your invoice for club dues along with a checklist for activities you are willing to assist or participate in. Keep in mind that we are able to keep the rate of our dues down due to the volunteer efforts of the membership. Our committee chair persons use this list to reach out for support in each of their areas. There are many options to choose from: Activities committee and help with an event; Junior Sailing and help repair boats or fill a duty officer time slot during the sailing school; Grounds committee and help keep our landscape flower beds looking top notch or volunteer to be a weed whacker or mow the lawn. Spring and Fall, we have work parties to prepare the club for the boating season and to store things away for the off-season. These are all opportunities to get involved, meet other members, and be a part our NCYC crew! There is also the option to make a contribution in lieu of volunteer time. This is much appreciated and helps the NCYC stay on even keel.
Speaking of the fall cleanup, thank you to all who volunteered at our fall cleanup event on Saturday. The boats are pulled with the smaller ones stored in the house. Grills are cleaned, grounds and gardens were tended to, and the clubhouse is spotless.
We will be gathering after the Torchlight Parade at Penny Lane Pub. There is talk of putting a float in the parade. It is something we did years ago and hope to do again. More information to come in emails. Check your emails and the club calendar for other winter events. I hope to see you all this winter!
Linda Tuzzio, Commodore
Vice Commodore Remarks
My trip to Denver this week made it very clear that winter is coming soon. We received 7” of snow on Thursday! Back in CT, I am excited to support the club in my new job as Vice Commodore and to celebrate the volunteer efforts of our club members.
A few things I want to highlight:
· Membership Photo Board – Thank you to Nicole Bouvier, who has taken on the chair role, and will be keeping the board up to date as we get new members and to Eddie Addeo who is photographing. We are working to revitalize our membership photo board over the winter. The new board will be slightly bigger and allow us to use regular 4x6 photos. Thanks to Eddie Addeo for getting us started and sharing his photography services at the annual meeting. If you were not able to get a new photo done by Eddie, please send a recent digital photo of you/your family to Nicole at npilon@binsurance.com. Everyone will need to have an updated photo for the board!
· Torchlight Parade (December 14th) – After a several year hiatus, we’ve decided to have a float again for the parade. Anyone interested in planning or decorating or marching, please let me know (masonahoy@gmail.com). All ages are encouraged!!
· Ships Store (formerly the chandlery) – Thanks to Julie and Tom Tydeman for the revitalization of our NCYC swag. Just reach out to the Tydemans for your holiday gift shopping!
Thanks to everyone who pitched in to get the inside of the club house ready for winter during the work day on Saturday. The inside of the clubhouse has taken on its winter form of boat/outside furniture/grill storage facility.
For those of you who stay north (like me), I hope to see you at one of the winter gatherings that will be planned. For those who winter in warmer climates, fair winds!
Melissa Mason, Vice Commodore
Rear Commodore Remarks
What a turn out we had for the Fall clean up! So many members showed up and pitched in with such good cheer! By noon, everything had been accomplished–including the very last task: Finishing the keg of beer. As with every other task, this one was set-to with vigor and determination and in no time at all, the keg was empty!
The Optis, teak tables and benches, picnic tables and benches, paddle boards, kayaks, and gas grills (propane tanks are in the outside enclosure) are stored inside the clubhouse for the winter, the bubblers are on the bulkhead waiting to be installed when the weather cools. The 420’s are stored in the back of the parking lot, the launch is on its trailer, gravel has been put down in the new enclosure, and the pot hole in the driveway has been filled in. The gardens have been cut back, and the flower containers emptied. It’s all shipshape! A huge thank you to everyone who pitched in to make this essential project such a fun and cheerful morning.
Deb Paulson, Rear Commodore
Thank you!
As everyone knows, NCYC is a volunteer club. It is our volunteer members who keep the club running smoothly. We have transitioned to the new officer slate, and in addition, there are new Board members and new Flag Officers.
A huge thank you to David Chan for his four years as Fleet Captain. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw early spring planning meetings to discuss ideas for the club cruises and turned the ideas into reality. Club members went to various ports during the annual August cruises and weekend cruises saw us at Mystic Seaport, Mattituck, Shelter Island, Cuttihunk, and Stonington, among others. Our intrepid cruisers weathered interesting weather including a hurricane and a low pressure system that seemed to want to follow the cruise around Long Island. The club would like to thank you, David, for your dedicated work on our behalf. Thank you!
Thank you to our new members of the Board: Al Ebstein, Skip Haskins, Chris Griffin, Mindy Hill, and Dan Ferrier. We are grateful for your service to NCYC!
A heartfelt thank you to our outgoing Board members for their three years of service: Elio Betty, Dan O’Malley, Tom Tydeman. Your ideas and thoughtful communication contributed to the smooth running of NCYC.
Thank you also to Nicole Bouvier for agreeing to update our membership board and to Eddie Addeo for taking such stunning portraits of us for this.
With the stepping down of David Chan as Fleet Captain, we welcome Chris Griffin as our new Fleet Captain. It is Chris who implemented “Discord,” our membership social media app. Discord has made it possible for members to keep in touch while out cruising or just hanging out. Members have connected with each other at harbors, posted amazing photos, and arranged rendevous. Chris will be a wonderful Fleet Captain as he ushers us into a new cruising world! Thank you Chris! If you are not on Discord yet, please pick up one of the flyers in the Club to join or contact any member who is currently on Discord to get an invite from them. You don’t know what you’re missing!
And last but certainly not least, we thank Caroline Miller who is finally allowed to become a laid back member of the club (although she still works her magic with Membership Committee and we doubt she will be laid back ;)) after eight years of Flag Officer service. Thank you so much, Caroline!
Activities
DATE NIGHT POT LUCK AND MOVIE
We had a small but fun group for our dinner and a movie activitiy. Our club members are like onions. So many interesting layers to you all! I really enjoy the intimate parties. The food was really good, and the conversations were even better.
Then, with the assistance of Eautha and company helping me set up the night before and fiddling with the DVD player (yes! They DO still exist) we all settled in for some popcorn and the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. I have to say we may have had some super-fans of this movie (OTHER than me!) We all had so many connections to it and everyone seemed to really enjoy kicking up their feet in our always surprisingly comfortable sofas and chairs, and eating popcorn. A real movie experience!
I would like to do another movie night in the future, so always looking for good movie suggestions.
“Now, bring me that horizon, Yo ho me hardies, yo ho!!” Cpt. Jack Sparrow.
FRIENDSGIVING 2024
What a great way to end the season! With about 70 in attendance, we had a wonderful turkey FEAST with all the fixing. Once again, you all don’t disappoint when it comes to cooking! Leave your diets aside and let grazing begin! There were a few different kinds of cranberry sauces, some with a little “kick,” others very traditional. The array of breads were beautiful and bountiful. Plenty of vegetables from roasted brussels sprouts to the green bean casserole! Again, too many tasty items to mention but hopefully the pictures will tell a thousand words. The evening would have been a disaster without Elio Betty and Eautha Munkelwitz stepping up to cook a couple of the birds. Thank you also to the master carvers Skip Haskins and Tom Tydeman showing up early with extra sharp knives and who certainly know their way around a bird! COULD NOT have done it without you all!
Wanted to say a special thank you to my team who helped me set up the tables and decorated the night before. It was a lot of fun and now we have a few crafty people who, after a short tutorial, know how to do Origami Napkin folding! So, thank you to Lois LeSieur, Mary Jane Peterson, Riley, and of course my rock Greg.
The kitchen team kicked #$&! The best compliment I got was on Saturday morning when the BlueTits came in for their morning swim and I overheard Ann say it didn’t look like anything had happened the night before!! BRAVO CLEAN UP TEAM!!!
I also wanted to say a VERY SPECIAL thank you to everyone who picked up the slack on the other events this summer in my absence. You are the glue that kept everyone going and I really appreciate the support.
Our last event of the year is the Torch Light Parade on December 14th. I have a reservation upstairs at the Penny Lane at 5:30, parade starts at 6:00(ish). I will be sending a sign-up just so I can confirm the number to them.
I would like to welcome and give a huge THANK YOU to Debbie and Tim Matson who have stepped up to be my right hand assistants for this coming season. I am SO looking forward to working with you!! As you must know by now, I am a PARTY girl! I LOVE throwing events and enjoy the club! When you fill out your Volunteer form, please consider being on the Activities Committee and helping us plan more exciting events for the coming season!
Thanks again for a great season! Looking forward to next year!
Melissa Clark, Activities
My Summer Vacation, Part 2
by Joe Carroll
August 16 – 24, 2024
Gentle Reader,
September’s “High Tidings” published part 1 of “My Summer Vacation” which discussed the trip of my sailing vessel Madaket to faraway enchanted Nantucket Island from North Cove. Now I will tell you about the return trip of Madaket from Nantucket to North Cove.
Madaket’s crew consisted of my college roommate John Z from Annapolis, Md- a retired 40-year US Naval Academy professor, and Tony Stanco from Oyster Bay, NY-an attorney who works a side job as a carpenter to make ends meet. John, Tony, and I have known each other since we started college in 1972. I am Joe- the guy who is your North Cove Yacht Club special High Tidings correspondent.
On Wednesday, August 21, we awoke to a beautiful day with blue skies and eleven knots of South by Southwest wind. We were anchored in upper Nantucket Harbor off Coskata Creek, which overlooks the 1117-acre Coatue wildlife refuge. Cactus, 100+ year-old dwarf cedar trees, wild peas, rosemary bushes, sea grass, lady slippers, bear berries, and other plants keep the sands of Coatue from blowing away. Also running around the sandy expanse were deer. Many rare nesting bird species such as American oystercatchers, piping plovers, least terns, saltmarsh sparrow, ground-nesting northern harriers, herons, egrets, and bald eagles were feeding and gliding effortlessly above us screeching out their objections to our presence. Hares and jack rabbits played lovingly together on the beach near us. Madaket was the only boat anchored out in this beautiful Fiji-like place. Similar to the HMS Bounty except there were no female natives paddling out to welcome us. Just dive-bombing terns.
man with oar
At 9AM we weighed anchor with a low tide starting to flood to head back to Old Saybrook. As we motored out of the upper harbor to the main harbor we went up on a hump of sand in the low water between Bass Point and Pocomo Head. Madaket draws 4-foot 7-inches and ran hard aground. We used Madaket’s sail to heal the boat over and slid off the shoal into deeper water, but we needed to use the depth sounder, a weighted line, the feel of the keel touching the bottom, and the “reverse” and “forward” gear of the motor to slowly find our way out of jail. Once over the shoal, we took Madaket into the buoy marked approach to Polpis Harbor (a harbor off Nantucket Harbor) and then threaded Madaket through the serpentine channel back to the main portion of Nantucket Harbor where the town is.
In town we tied up at Nantucket Town dock. It was here that we learned from the uniformed dock attendant that no sailboats are welcomed at town dock. I slipped the kid $20 and he let us tie-up for an hour to do food shopping at the near-by Stop and Shop supermarket, and to allow us to pump out Madaket’s holding tank. Done with chores, we put Madaket’s sail up to the accompaniment of a dock attendant growling, “you can’t sail off the dock!” and sailed off the dock.
We left Nantucket Harbor in a fresh 15 knot SSW breeze, and turned left in a westerly direction toward Vineyard Haven. We sailed over Tuckernuck shoals, and kept an eye on the depth finder and charts so that we didn’t bounce hard off the bottom and break something miles from nowhere. The wind increased steadily to about 30 knots and the wave heights significantly increased as we passed the unprotected area known as Muskeget Channel. There, we had North Atlantic swells breaking and blowing water into the cockpit. Our speed was about 10 knots with an occasional jump to 11 knots. Chappaquiddick Island appeared fast, and we passed about one mile north of the island and continued to East Chop/ West Chop on Martha’s Vineyard. The tide was tricky off West Chop as Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound meet each other in a great confluence there, and we started beating our way into the wind in Vineyard Sound toward Cuttyhunk Island. But it was getting dark and we pulled Madaket into Tarpaulin Cove at Naushon Island for the night.
heading to tarpaulin cove
We anchored off the rocky beach not too far from the Tarpaulin Cove lighthouse. There were three boats anchored in the sheltered cove with us overnight. One of the boats was a mega yacht, and the other a 50-foot sailboat, so 30-foot Madaket felt happy that it was in a peer group. Tony cooked a sumptuous swordfish meal on Madaket’s gas stove, with baked potatoes and a cake in the oven. Although the wind howled in Vineyard Sound all night, Tarpaulin Cove was calm, and we slept soundly, awaking around 9AM. We had breakfast, made phone calls to our loved ones and waited for the wind to calm down, which it didn’t.
Tarpaulin Cove
We decided to reef Madaket’s mainsail and sail out of Tarpaulin Cove toward Cuttyhunk Island in a fair tide, and then onto Block Island. The wind stayed pretty steady from 18 to 30 knots and we had to beat against it to get out of Vineyard Sound and travel along the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Coast. The reefed Madaket leveled off and behaved very well traveling at about 6-7 knots to windward bucking the seas and pointing high as we tacked along the coast. We travelled through the wind mills off Newport and Narraganset bay. Eventually, we zigzagged against the wind to pass Point Judith, and then along the Rhode Island coast beyond Mattunuck. At this point, we tacked and took Madaket South out to Block Island arriving at the Great Salt Pond Harbor at dusk. We found the NCYC mooring in the dark, however, somebody was on it, so we chose to anchor in the anchorage to the East of the entrance to the Great Salt Pond. Luckily, I have two good anchors sized for a 75-foot boat and about 300+feet of nylon rope. We had no dragging problems. Tony cooked up spaghetti and meatballs with baked garlic bread and a tossed salad with homemade garlic vinaigrette dressing. It had been a long day of sailing, and we all crashed and slept until 9AM the next morning (Friday August 23). We awoke to a beautiful blue sky morning and saw the boats anchored around us that we hadn’t seen in the dark.
A guy named Aldo VII came by in a boat and sold us pastries and bread which we ate for breakfast with omelets and sausages. No Dinty Moore or Chef Boyardee on Madaket!. After breakfast we hailed a launch going by us and “Louie”-a very senior citizen from Clinton, Ct came over and took us to the dock. Only $4.00/person which is half the price of the $8.00 Nantucket Taxi ride. The water taxi lands in front of the “Oar” restaurant, and we walked into town by walking left, then right, then left, and left again to the beach. We walked along the beach toward “The National Hotel” which overlooks Block Island’s Old Harbor. We met new friends on the porch as we hoisted up and consumed a couple of rounds of Narraganset Beer.
Next, we walked to Abrams exotic animal zoo and visited with the animals. There were turtles, bulls, Billy goats, a camel, and several other species. A goat repeatedly butted his horns against the fence that I was leaning on so I think he had taken a fancy to me.
In the little store on the premises, we purchased some fresh vegetables and eggs for dinner and breakfast. Afterwards, we walked over to nearby Aldo’s restaurant and had a late lunch. The wind was kicking up about 10-15 knots and we decided to start our trek home, stopping on the way to the water taxi to buy some gifts for loved ones.
We taxied out to the Madaket, weighed anchor, and sailed out Great Salt Pond in 13 knots of wind. We headed for Stonington and arrived at Wicopesset Passage with 3 knots of tide against us, and Madaket sailed through the dangerous passage (off the East end of Fisher’s Island) to avoid the long haul of bucking winds and foul current in Fishers Island Sound. After safely emerging from Wicopesset passage, we sailed across Fishers Island Sound to Stonington following a fleet of Friday night sail boat racers. We anchored north of the outermost jetty near a 100 foot yacht. We had dinner, and went to bed. After breakfast, we weighed anchor, and were underway to North Cove Yacht Club by 8am.
Unfortunately, after days of lots of wind, this day the wind was 0-5 knots from the west (where we were headed), so we had to motor and we reached North Cove Yacht Club dock around noon. After cleaning up the boat, the three of us went to my house for showers and lunch, and John and Tony headed home to Annapolis, Md and Oyster Bay, Long Island respectively.
We had a great trip, and made a lot of memories. We were able to meet challenges of the sea, and we appreciated the natural beauty, and sleeping out in the spacious cockpit of Madaket under the clear starry nights in remote areas of Nantucket, and Block Island. I also got a chance to take Nantucket family members and friends out on my boat for sailboat rides around upper Nantucket Harbor. Miss Paulson: It was a great summer vacation. [What a delightful account, Joe. A+ Miss Paulson.]
The Ship’s Store
From the Ship’s Store…
Thank you to everyone who supported the Ship’s Store this season!
Christmas is right around the corner… if you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift we have you covered with NCYC polo shirts, long sleeve sun shield shirts and t-shirts in several sizes. There are also a variety of hats including; white bucket hats, visors, baseball caps and a few knit hats are left as well. The wine/drink tumblers with a bottle of his or hers favorite wine or drink choice would make a great gift too! NCYC coozies, stickers, and floatable key chains are perfect for stocking stuffers!
If you are interested in purchasing any items or just taking a closer look, please feel free to contact us and we are happy to meet you at the club.
We welcome and appreciate any feedback on purchased items as well as ideas for merchandise you would like to see next season.
Tom & Julie Tydeman
Tom Cell: 860-877-3343
Julie Cell: 860-877-3344
Our Stewards
If there was an occasion where you received exceptional service, perhaps just help on a foul weather day, balancing gear, or assistance docking from any of our Stewards, feel free to send them a little something with some kind words. While gratuities are not a necessity here at North Cove, members are free to consider it at the close of the season for our regular operators.
Our regular Launch Operators:
Tatiana Anderson
32 River Road
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Stefan Golicz
536 Main Street
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Steven Lee
2 Maynard Circle
Old Saybrook, CT. 06475
Jack Cardello
2 Deerfield Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
My NCYC Shower Antics
by Melissa Clark
[Ed. note: Yes, this story is G rated.]
This weekend I FINALLY got to spend an overnight on the boat! Sunday morning was a cool, brisk morning. I took our dog out for a short walk and got a little chill. So, I decided “Hmm! What a great day to use our fantastic new club shower room!” Upon entry, LOVELY!! Loved all the little details and the hair dryer, INSPIRED!!!
I set up all my little potions, lotions and bags on every table, hook, and stool available (didn’t want to leave any surface unused!) and began to examine the shower. Someone taller than me must have been the last to use the shower so I needed to adjust the head. No biggie! Seems pretty straightforward, move the head down a little with the three articulating arms and start her up! That’s where it all went wrong! I turned the shower on full blast, and the pressure shot the head up and immediately saturated my entire fleece clad left side with pretty cold water!! BUT that wasn’t the worst of it! Of course, my first instinct was to shut the curtain door to stop getting wet. Because I didn’t notice all the tensioning screws on the LEFT side of every joint, I must have loosened the top joint because water started shooting out OVER the top of the shower and (thankfully) into the SINK ON THE OTHER SIDE!!! And not just a trickle! I mean a full-on stream of water!! So, back into the deluge I go and shut everything off! Dripping wet and now even colder than when I first started this adventure, I tighten EVERYTHING up and started over. MUCH BETTER!!
What a glorious, hot shower! But a word about the pressure. No need for a luffa or any exfoliating scrubs as that water pressure will remove layers of salt even from an old crusty sailor who had been out at sea for weeks! I think my hair even came out a shade lighter!! (BTW, that too is adjustable I later discovered.)
So, to conclude, if I were to tell anyone about our fabulous shower, I would say, examine it closely BEFORE you turn on the water, tall people, please remember us shorties, but mostly, ENJOY the fantastic benefit of a clean, hot shower that we have at our disposal!!!
Melissa C
Railroad Bridge Construction Update
This is an update from O&G/Tutor Perini, the contractor for the Amtrak CT River Bridge Replacement Project in Old Saybrook / Old Lyme CT.
Looking ahead at the next few weeks for marine work at the bridge site we will be conducting surveys, confirmatory borings from barges, and continuing our submarine cable location. No wake zones are appreciated, as we will have divers in the water directly at the bridge site.
Working hours are still Monday - Friday from 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Lou Vinciguerra, Immediate Past Commodore
survey boat
geotech borings
From the Chaplain’s Quiet Corner of the Cove
The first sentence in North Cove Yacht Club’s mission statement reads “The object of this club shall be to encourage the sport of yachting, to promote the science of seamanship and navigation.” A brief review of the history of seamanship revealed the following:
According to the U.S. Naval Institute as early as 1833 an American sailing vessel was held liable for a collision with another sailing vessel having the right of way because she was navigating at sea, in daylight in clear weather, with no watch on deck but the man at the wheel. In July of 1935, the Supreme Court clearly stated the first rule of seamanship is “the duty of the lookout…Upon nothing else does the safety of those concerned so much depend”.
Forever mindful of our stated mission, shall we not place as our first priority that of looking out for each other? To look out for the danger of potential hazards. To look out for the delight of pure beauty. To look out for the devotion of present friendship. May we always be vigilant and look out for each other.
Peace,
Jean
From the Editor
Thank you to all of you who have contributed to this issue! The next issue will come out in January and will encompass January, February, and March. Beginning in April, High Tidings will again be monthly.
I particularly wish to thank member Eddie Addeo–a professional photographer–for taking the superb photos of the Fall clean up! Due to my becoming Rear Commodore and having other duties that day, Eddie stepped in and volunteered to take photos. They are so amazing, he’s now the official photographer of High Tidings! (This is probably news to him ;)
Of course, Eddie isn’t the only amazing photographer we have in the club. Thank you also to: Joe Carroll, Ann Chan, Melissa Clark, Jean Golicz, Kathy Reddington, Linda Tuzzio, Lou Vinciguerra
If you have anything you’d like to put in High Tidings, please email me at debrasachs247@gmail.com