High Tidings July 2024
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spinnakers bloom in the spring off-soundings race around block island
Upcoming Events
On-going Wednesdays, 6:00 – Informal Grill Night. Join for a drink or dinner
On-going Thursdays – Thursday Night Racing. Be at the dock by 4:30 if you want to join in
July 3, 6:30 Activities meeting at the Club
July 4 -7, July Fourth Mini Cruise, “Free and Easy” Use Discord to coordinate
July 12, 6:00, Pasta Dinner Fundraiser at the Club
July 17, 6:00, Cruising Club meeting at the Club
July 21, Outer Light Classic Regatta hosted by NCYC
Commodore Remarks
Hope everyone’s boating season is now going well! I know a few folks (including myself) who had a bit of a rough start but that’s all behind us and it’s smooth sailing ahead! The Commodores’ Cookout was a well-attended, fun event and raised money for our very own Old Saybrook Outer Light Classic Regatta via the silent auction of gift baskets. This regatta is NCYC’s big annual event for racers of Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association (ECSA) and will be held Sunday July 21st. A few of our members have joined after attending that event and seeing what our club has to offer! Volunteers are needed in the clubhouse to support the “post race” party which is a favorite among the ECSA circuit of summer races. Volunteers are also needed on the water supporting the race committee boat and the two mark boats. Amy Vinciguerra is our event chairperson-please contact her if you want to volunteer. I believe she is also looking for a club member with a small seaworthy center console boat to be the second mark boat. Prior to and during the races, the wind often shifts around and inflatable marks need to be set and sometimes re-set for the optimized race course.
Junior Sailing session I is off to a great start and it’s great to see those first-time little sailors steering around the marks after just a few days on the water–as well as seeing the bigger kids learning advanced skills and racing tactics. These kids are where the future members of yacht clubs are born keeping “living the dream!” alive. Check the sign-up list on here and on the web site if you want to help out as a duty officer for half a day and be part of the action.
Another cool happening at the club is the testing of an electric outboard on the Carolina Skiff. Some of us were a bit skeptic that the battery would last for a full day of Junior Sailing but as it turns out “especially for the beginner class” the motor is most of the time idling, then a short burst to catch up and come along side an OPTI, then back to idle. For electric, idle = off vs. the Tohatsu 6HP which is showing its age, and idling for long periods clogs spark plugs and carburetors. Thanks to member Alex Yuknat for loaning us a “demo” motor to test out. Timing couldn’t have been better; the day he dropped it off, the Tohatsu broke its pull cord from repetitive pulling because it was stalling and had trouble starting.
Our evaluation with junior sailing is underway to see if an electric motor could be the right choice, as the club does need to replace the skiff motor in the near future which also seems burning oil lately. Alex has a company selling and installing electric motors of several brands and all sizes on boats. Contact him if you have interest in considering one.
On the social calendar side, the fourth of July mini-cruise is a “free and easy” self-directed one, Wednesday grill nights are happening, and the last Friday of June casual social had a significant turnout, with great appetizers.
Remember to sign up for the Outer Light Classic post-race party, you don’t have to race to come down to the party!
And also remember the club website calendar is the best place to see upcoming events and the launch service schedule.
See you on the water!
Best!
Lou Vinciguerra
Commodore, North Cove Yacht Club
Vice Commodore Remarks
Boats, Books, and Bites
Lou, Len, and I were happy to serve club members at the successful Commodore’s cookout! The food was great, the silent auction made a profit, and The Ship’s Store was up and running. All great summer fun! Thanks to all who helped out.
The next big event is the pasta dinner on July 12th to raise money for a coach boat for Junior Sailing. Junior sailors and their families will be attending and helping out. There will be some silent auction items and a dessert raffle which is always a lot of fun.
Our boat, Sea Horse, is on the hard, awaiting a survey required by the insurance company. Apparently, they want the boat surveyed every once in a while, which is a good thing. A sound boat is a pleasure to use.
A club member recommended the book, Cutting for Stone. I heard it is a good book to read while traveling but I was unable to get a copy before leaving for Arizona. We drove to the Phoenix library in 120-degree weather to see if they had a copy. They had 20 copies, all checked out, with 97 people on the waiting list! Must be a great book. Time for a drive to R.J. Julia Bookstore in Madison.
I heard good things about the new brewery in Old Saybrook but have not been to it yet. We try to support local businesses and I am glad to hear this large space is occupied, up and running. Speaking of local spots, Mirsina’s Restaruant on Main Street has great breakfasts and lunches. Try it out.
Linda Tuzzio
Vice Commodore
Membership
Membership
The following prospective Members have been posted:
James and Emily Steinhardt
New Milford, CT
James: Registered Nurse
Emily: Medical Office
Children: Jameson (1997), Rachel (2000)
Proposed by: Caroline Miller
Support letters: Tuzzio, Chan and Mason
Boat: Parker Sport Cabin
Boating: James has been operating power boats for approximately 35 years.
Skills/interests: They are passionate about boating as well as spending their free time near the water. Upon visiting the Club, they were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed the people they met. Additionally they look forward to participating in club events, as well as promoting the clubs culture of preserving and enjoying the sea.
Jameson Steinhardt and Kayla Sisk
(Posted for Associated Member)
New Milford, CT
Jameson: Registered Nurse
Kayla: Registered Nurse
Proposed by: Caroline Miller
Support letters: Tuzzio, Miller, Mason
Boat: Hunter 1 Center Console 22’
Boating: Jameson has been boating for around 10 years.
Skills/interests: Jameson has his USCG OUPV Captain’s License. He is interested in joining the Club due to the Club’s and his passion for boating. He looks forward to the comradery as well as learning from members about their boating experience. He is also looking forward to helping maintain the Club and help with club activities and fundraising that will benefit the Club and its members.
Michael Kenney
Old Saybrook, CT
Michael: Patent Attorney
Children: John (2011), Mary Katherine (2005)
Proposed by: Caroline Miller
Support letters: Chan, Mason, Pavlos
Boating: Basic Sailing skills.
Skills/interests: Michael is look forward to learning to sail. He hopes to be able to enjoy the kayaks and paddleboards. John is enrolled in the Jr. Sailing program. Michael is very handy and can fix most things. He also is skilled in woodworking and has the tools for that.
Jr. Sailing
Junior Sailing is off to an excellent start! Registration is full, with an ever growing wait list! Monday Night racing and Wednesday race practices have begun as well, with the goal of having our sailors and coaches travel to 5 different events across the state.
Junior sailing will run through August 2nd. Remember to please drive slowly when at the club!
Duty Officers Wanted!
We still have slots open for Duty Officers. Sign-up for this fun volunteer activity!
(One of these is not like the other…)
Junior Sailing Program Fundraiser July 12
The Junior Sailing Program is holding a Pasta Dinner and Auctions fundraiser on July 12! The goal is to raise funds to purchase a coach boat that meets ECSA safety recommendations for our highly regarded Junior Sailing program, and to expand our community scholarship program.
The objective of the Junior Sailing Program is to provide an engaging learning environment to promote the sport of sailing in a safe and structured environment to any interested youth and to give students the best learning opportunity possible. We develop sportsmanship, seamanship, integrity, and interpersonal skills. We instill responsibility for boats, equipment, and facilities. To meet these goals, the Junior Sailing Program has expanded to teach classes for the 420 group in the Connecticut River, which allows the class to sail regardless of tides (the flats are too shallow for these boats at low tide) and to practice racing tactics. The Jr. Sailing program is also reviving our race team, which will require a trailerable coach boat which is adequate for use in the Long Island Sound.
Pasta Dinner and Auctions - Join us July 12 at 6pm for an evening of pasta, fresh salad and garlic bread served by our own sailing instructors!
There will be a silent auction with some amazing items to bid on: A sunset cruise, Sea Bags filled with fun items, a coffee basket, and more! And to top off the evening there will be a live dessert auction [Ed. note: no, the desserts aren’t alive] with some incredible sweets. Get ready to bid on your favorite sweets and enjoy a slice of something spectacular!
This is a BYOB event and there will be Pellegrino for sale. Cost: $25/adults or $12/kids age 12 & under.
Why You Should Attend: Your participation helps us chart a course for success! Funds raised will go towards purchasing a new-to-us instructor/coach boat that meets ECSA safety recommendations and towards expanding scholarship opportunities for young sailors in our community. Your support ensures that more kids can experience the joy and skills that sailing offers.
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Skip the sauce: We also gratefully accept donations! Help us reach our goal faster. Options to give a little or slightly more.
Thanks to everyone in our club community for your support with these activities!
Melissa Mason, Jr. Sailing Chair
Amy Vinciguerra, Program Director
Saybrook Outer Light Classic
Come and participate in this year’s biggest event! Race your boat in the Outer Light Classic OR just come and party! Enjoy catering from Walt’s in Old Saybrook, music, drinks, and the trophy ceremony.
The Outer Light is Sunday July 21st, party tickets will be sold at the door.
We’re encouraging community involvement this year and here’s how you can help. If you have a business, professional practice, or just anything you’d like to say, you can be featured as a sponsor in the SOLC Program. It’s a great way to signal your support of your club and community by highlighting your message amongst your friends and neighbors. Sponsorship includes tickets to the party and if past is prologue, you will not be disappointed.
Your message can be all about your business or just a simple statement of support. You can even put in a picture of your dog!
stevie sachs is rooting for the NCYC fleet in outer light
We offer design help, or you can send us existing marketing materials, and we’ll format them for you. Just click the link to purchase, and we’ll take care of the rest. You'll be doing something useful, helpful, and fun!
As many of you already know, our club sponsors several scholarships to our junior sailing program for those who may not be able to attend otherwise. With the sale of SOLC sponsorships, we hope to add two positions to this scholarship program. Our junior program has become the premier sailing experience for kids in our area and something we can all be very proud of. Sailing instruction introduces a whole new generation to the passion we share and builds confidence and teamwork in young minds as well as boating skills and safety. Help us make that experience available to more kids by becoming a SOLC sponsor!
Spread the Word
We also ask that you reach out to anyone who might be interested in sponsoring. Maybe your dentist, transmission shop, or psychic? How about that realtor who keeps emailing you? Send them the flyer below or copy any of the language in your email to them–or print it out and drop it off in person. Thank you for being an NCYC ambassador.
Regardless of your level of support, please come to the party and help cheer on your fellow club members and meet some our sailing friends from other clubs on the Eastern Sound. See you there!
Activities
Whoa, June is OVER?!?
As you know, this has been a whirlwind of a month for me so I was only able to attend our first pot luck of the year. Sign ups started slow as usual, but rallied toward the day of the event. We had a great crowd with lots of new members and fantastic food. Great job to all who attended.
Unfortunately, I had to postpone the Luau, but hope to have it later on. However, I could really use some volunteers. PLEASE, when event sign-ups come out, volunteer for a task. We always have fantastic food (thank you all so much!) but never enough help. I will also be contacting those of you who volunteered to be on the Activities Committee on the sign-up sheet at the beginning of the season. I have so many fun event ideas and look forward to having them at the club. But I can’t do it all alone, so please come to the Activities Committee meetings, which are held the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 at the club, and volunteer. The next one is July 3. I think things will get back to normal for me shortly so I will be able to attend the rest of this summers events.
Here we go, into July! Everyone have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
Melissa Clark, Activities Chair
Cruising News
From the Fleet Captain’s Desk:
We had our May cruise meeting with Falmouth added back to the itinerary for our annual cruise. Nancy Jenkins did some research and has found slips & moorings availability at Falmouth. We may have a split itinerary after Hadley. It is a very extensive & exciting cruise itinerary and we hope to confirm and line up the shore activities at our July Cruise meeting on July 17.
The July 4th cruise is ‘Free & Easy’ and whoever is heading out please use Discord to notify the fleet. The festivities stretch from New London to 3-Mile to Duck Island.
Safe sailing & cruising and we will catch up on July 17 at our clubhouse and on Discord.
Sincerely,
David Chan, Fleet Captain
Women on the River
north cove members rigging the ideal 18
Another successful year of Women on the River has come to an end. This was our 6th year participating in this collaboration of yacht clubs. I cannot remember a year like this were we were blessed with beautiful weather for every evening that we met. The sailing was a total pleasure. Eight of our club members signed up to participate and sail the Ideal 18s from Essex and Corinthian Yacht Clubs. Most of the sailing included just enjoying an evening on water. The last day however there was a sailing competition in which NCYC won thanks to the participation of Lauren Peters and Jennie Enman. Thanks to all NCYC women that participated this year– It has been a lot of fun spending time together. For any women who have not participated, please consider joining next year.
We will be hosting a gathering of Women on the River at our club on September 11 at 5:00 pm. The event is a pot luck and is open to any of our female club members. Its a wonderful way of meeting women from the neighboring yacht clubs: Essex, Corinthian, Pettipaug and Hamburg Cove. We welcome all lovers of boating. Please consider attending.
Hope to see you September 11!
Cathy Murphy
Volunteers are needed!
Remember, this is a volunteer club–your help is needed! Especially now in the growing season, we need volunteers to help the club look nice and well-kept.
Lawn mowing or weed whacking –contact Rear Commodore Len Vanvliet (vanvliet.leendert@gmail.com) with questions.
Weeding the flowers beds – contact Cathy Murphy with questions (cathy249@icloud.com)
Nominating Committee
From the NCYC Bylaws:
Article VII. Standing Committees
VII.11. Nominating Committee. Membership of the Nominating Committee includes the most recent Past Commodore not standing for reelection and four others. No members shall serve for more than two consecutive years. The Nominating Committee shall elect a chair from among its members. The Nominating Committee shall submit for election by the membership at the annual meeting a slate of nominees as Officer and elected Governors.
On June 22nd the Nominating Committee comprised of John Pavlos, Cathy Murphy, Kathy Reddington, Walter Gayeski, and Caroline Miller met and elected Immediate Past Commodore Caroline Miller as the Chair. The Nominating Committee will be working this summer to provide a slate of candidates to the Board of Governors prior to the November Annual Meeting . The Committee is looking for candidates for Vice Commodore and Board of Governors. The Vice Commodore commitment is two years Vice Commodore, two years Commodore and two years Immediate Past Commodore. The Board of Governors commitment is three years on the Board.
If you are interested in either of these positions, you can reach out to any member of the Nominating committee or send an email to c.d.miller@comcast.net.
The Ships Store
A few updates from the Chandlery, starting with our name change to the “The Ships Store”!
Most of our new products have arrived and on display in the trophy case. We have more Baseball hats coming shortly in several colors.
Products include:
Blue NCYC Floatable Keychains,
12oz Insulated Stainless Steel Wine Tumblers which have a non slip rubber bottom and a slide sipper top (these tumblers are not just for wine!)
Short Sleeve Polo Shirts made with Performance fabric, moisture wicking, wrinkle & stain resistant both Men’s & Women’s available in a variety of sizes.
Visors in white, stone and periwinkle blue.
Long sleeve SPF moisture wicking unisex shirts recently arrived in a variety of sizes and with a color choice of white & light yellow.
We are continuing to try and find useful, quality merchandise at a reasonable cost to you and a small percentage going back to our Club. If there is something you would like added please let us know, your feedback is welcome!
Soon we will be moving The Ships Store from the trophy case to the white glass cabinet near the stewards office. Thank you to Greg Clark for making shelves to display merchandise!
If you are interested in purchasing anything or just getting a closer look, please contact us directly or see the steward on duty.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Tom & Julie Tydeman
Tom Cell: 860-877-3343
Julie Cell: 860-877-3344
Who owns this dinghy? Is it abandoned?
It is on the dinghy rack at NCYC. Contact Walter Gayeski (waltere.gayeski@gmail.com) if you know anything about it.
From the Chaplain’s Quiet Corner of the Cove
“Just As the Calendar Began to Say Summer"
I went out of the schoolhouse fast
and through the gardens and to the woods,
and spent all summer forgetting what I’d been taught—
two times two, and diligence, and so forth,
how to be modest and useful, and how to succeed and so forth,
machines and oil and plastic and money and so forth.
By fall I had healed somewhat, but was summoned back
to the chalky rooms and the desk, to sit and remember
the way the river kept rolling its pebbles,
the way the wild wrens sang though they hadn’t a penny in the bank,
the way the flowers were dressed in nothing but light.
~Mary Oliver
from Long Life
Wishing you a summer Sabbath (Sabbatical?) of forgetting “machines and oil and plastic and money”, and instead a time for savoring memories of the rolling river and beyond.
From the Editor
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue. If you have anything you’d like in the August issue, please contact me! Thanks– Deb Paulson.
Photos by: Melissa Clark, Walter Gayeski, Jean Golicz, Kelley Griffin, Cathy Murphy, Deb Paulson, Richard Sachs, Carolyn Turner, Julie Tydeman, Amy Vinciguerra, Lou Vinciguerra
On the downwind leg of last Thursday's race–before things went severely south (or as Alex says "northwest, really.")