High Tidings September 2024
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Pau hana gets the pot of gold!
Upcoming Events
Informal Grill Night: Ongoing Wednesdays
9/3, Tuesdays until 10/6, 5:30-6:30 – Yoga at the Club
9/4, Wednesday 6:30 PM – Monthly Activities Meeting at the Club
9/8, Sunday 10:00 AM – Belle 8 Race
9/9, Monday 4:00 PM – Past Commodore’s Dinner
9/27, Friday 6:00 PM – Pizza and Bingo Social
Commodore Remarks
With August now in our wake, we look to September for some cooler weather sailing days. Tropical Storm Debbie dropped a wrench into the plans for the first week of our club cruise. Serenity made it to Block Island and we just stayed there most of the week and made the best of the on-off rain events and toured a lot of the island. Not a bad place to be stuck on the club mooring.
The second week saw more boats out meeting up in various harbors with a finale at Coecles Harbor. I think the count was eight boats attending. We all had a fun dinghy adventure ride and walk to the town center to visit a brewery next to an excellent Mexican restaurant. The Discord app on our phones turned out to be a great way to stay in touch with boats’ locations and plans, as well as sharing some great photos: videos of sunsets, dolphins, people swimming with their dorys, cocktail parties in various boats, etc. If you want to install it and get connected you’ll need to talk to one of my daughters or NCYC member Chris Griffin, who originally set it up for the club. I’m no help there.
New at the club is our fencing around the dumpster and septic and propane area which was completed last week. Looks great! Next with member manpower we plan to level the interior, place pavers or concrete and then install some storage racks for grill propane tanks and whaler fuel cans. Stay tuned for emails looking for help with this. Stayed tuned also for emails about our annual fall clean-up day–a day where we typically have a good turnout and lots of fun. The Ice Cream Social had a good turnout with several rounds of competitive Bingo!
Coming up Sept 8th is the annual Belle 8 regatta where a women must be at the helm. Find a female to drive your boat or volunteer to crew or be on race committee.
Enjoy your September on the water!
Best!
Lou Vinciguerra, Commodore
Vice Commodore Remarks
Reciprocal Yacht Clubs
What are reciprocal yacht club privileges? Many yacht clubs offer us moorings, the use of their facilities, and the launch for a reasonable fee. Some yacht clubs require proof of yacht club membership. NCYC provides business sized cards signed by the club secretary to indicate active membership. If you need a membership card, please see Joe Carroll, NCYC Secretary.
Recently, we stayed on a Shelter Island Yacht Club mooring in Dering Harbor. The launch picked us up and we had a spectacular dinner at the club. There is a bar and bar menu as well as an outside patio. The shower rooms are in a separate building. It is a lovely place to visit and is in close proximity to the ferry over to Greenport. The island is great for walks and hikes, restaurants, and a few shops.
Reciprocal privileges are one of the benefits of NCYC membership that make traveling by boat a pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Linda Tuzzio, Vice Commodore
Block Island Mooring
As many (most) of you know, NCYC has a mooring at Block Island for member use. One of the requirements to hold this mooring is to verify to the Block Island Harbor Master that our club has indeed made use of this mooring. If you used the mooring this season, PLEASE contact Caroline Miller or John Waanders and tell them the dates (approximate is ok) so they can put this info together to submit. We are working on a more structured solution for next season, but for now, this is what we have.
Thank you so much for your cooperation. We don’t want to lose our BI mooring!
Jon Waanders, john@waanders.net 860-661-4395
Caroline Miller, c.d.miller@comcast.net. 860-391-9144
Junior Sailing
Junior sailing wrapped up an excellent season with some of our sailors doing some extra sailing during the month of August. Some may be surprised to know the program only runs for 6 weeks and ends at the beginning of August, but the instructor team greatly enjoyed the vacation time.
The season was filled with fun days in the sun (not a single stormy day!) which allowed sailors to spend each and every day on the water. Some highlights were the Friday event of North Cove Olympics, consisting of various nautical and sailing competitions, plus a compete for best team dance! The 420 class enjoyed time sailing on the river and by the end of the summer, built up skills to sail across to poverty beach. Regatta day was a favorite amongst sailors competing every other Thursday against their peers, and enjoying lunch on the water rafted up together in the flats, plus some fun swim time.
In addition to our regular program, we had many sailors who participated in racing this season. We continued our Monday Night Racing tradition and added in Wednesday night practices for those who would be competing and traveling to many regattas across the region. We had a record number of Optis compete each Monday night averaging 8 to 10 Optis each week! 16 sailors attended on our last evening for our cumulative season awards.
Sailors who joined our official race team had some unforgettable experiences traveling to many different clubs across CT and RI! North Cove was represented by our sailors at 10 different events this year!
In the 420 class, Robert Bassett (3 events), Kory Wells (3 events), Daniel Maura (2 events), Luca DeAngelo (2 events), and Maddie Muratori (2 events).
In the Opti Class, Cordsen Enman (7 events), Hudson Lentnek (8 events), Charlotte Skidmore (4 events), Wyatt Kruse (5 events), and joining for one event at Pettipaug in Essex: Hayden Hand, Jack Scierka, Delia Becker, Harlan Marchaj, Hayden Arlaud, Henry Arlaud.
We continue to bring a great crowd of sailors to the Pettipaug regatta in Essex. Many of our sailors experienced their first travel regatta and got a taste of some strong river currents. NCYC brought 14 sailors, our biggest regatta crowd ever!
Our North Cove Sailors also took home awards for the overall season from the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association.
Hudson Lentnek was the first NCYC sailor to win the Iron Sailor Award for her participation in 8 events this summer! Notable finishes were Fifth place in Blue Fleet at the Mason’s Island Regatta and a very exciting First Place at the Pine Orchard Regatta!
Cordsen Enman participated in 6 events across ECSA, achieving top 3 at every event and a First Place at the Pettipaug regatta. This placed Cord at Third in Red Fleet for all of Eastern CT! Cord went on to participate in three days of racing at Opti New Englands at Newport where he sailed against top sailors from Annapolis, Canada, and more! Proudly waving the NCYC burgee for all to see.
Cord and Hudson both continue their training during the off season through the Mudratz program to keep their skills sharp for next year.
None of these great accomplishments are possible without the support of the NCYC parents and members. It takes a team to transport boats to each of these events day after day.
One last thank you to all those who attended, donated, and volunteered for the Pasta Dinner Fundraiser. If you’d like to help aid the search for the new coach boat, please reach out to Amyvinci94@gmail.com
Cheers to another great season!
Program Director, Amy Vinciguerra
Belle 8 Race
Sunday, September 8th is the Annual Belle 8 Race. This race features the women, and a woman has to be at the helm. This race encourages women sailors to show off their skills and decision making, so preferably there is not a man standing eight inches away from her, giving orders. Let the guys do the winching and grunt work and follow your orders!
Women at the Helm!
Belle 8 on September 8th
Join us for North Cove Yacht Club’s Belle 8 regatta featuring women at the helm! Boats with a crew of all women will receive a credit towards their PHRF!
To register, contact Amy Vinciguerra amyvinci94@gmail.com
Registration is $20 per boat (checks payable to North Cove Yacht Club)
Skippers meeting at 10am with a noon start.
Awards and food hosted after racing at approximately 3pm
Amy Vinciguerra, North Cove Yacht Club Program Director
Thursday Night Racing
Thursday, September 5 is the last official Thursday Night Race. After a more than three month long season, Madaket and Acamar are in close contention for third place overall. Kewalo and Resilience have only a three-point difference for an, erm, lower place standing. Looks like Osprey has clinched first place overall, and Gumdrop second. Congratulations to everyone!
One of the perks of racing in the Thursday Night Series (beyond the wonderful grill supper provided by Linda Tuzzio) are the sunsets.
What I Did On My Summer Vacation
by Joe Carroll
My Summer Vacation
August 16 – 24, 2024
Recently, Miss Paulson asked the class to write a report about our summer vacations. Normally, I spend the summer running around the neighborhood, smoking corn silk, playing baseball in the factory parking lot, and getting chased by the police. However, this summer I packed up the Madaket and sailed off with my school chums Tony and John to Nantucket Island.
My vacation started on Friday afternoon, August 16. My friends John and Tony arrived at the North Cove Yacht Club around 5pm. John drove from Annapolis, Md where he was Known as “Professor” at the US Naval Academy. He retired from there after 42 years of service. Tony arrived from Seacliff NY where he works as a lawyer and landlord. John and Tony are the same age as I am. They wanted to leave North Cove immediately Friday night. However, since I don’t use Madaket at night unless I’m returning from a Thursday night race, the running lights needed to be rewired, and working. John and Tony went to work right away getting the boat ready for a night voyage. I purchased the hardware from “West Marine”, and by 7:30pm the boat’s running and anchor lights were working.
There was an outgoing tide from North Cove and the Connecticut River that was due to start at around 9pm. Naturally, that would mean that we’d have to get going in the dark. Something that I don’t like to do, but John and Tony love sailing at night under the stars. So, we strapped Tony’s dirty/greasy dinghy to Madaket’s cabin top and left around 10pm on Friday night, a very dark night.
Leaving North Cove is very difficult when it is pitch black. The channel angles to the right, and if one goes instinctively straight out perpendicular from North Cove into the river the boat will run aground. I found myself nearing the north side of the red buoys mainly because I couldn’t see much-even with a search light. So, I motored very slowly until I got to the river’s channel, and headed out. Even in the river it was difficult to see the buoys. Eventually, we did get into Long Island Sound, and I raised Madakets big sail, and set a course for Bell 8. We had a South East wind blowing 12 knots, and that put us on a direct course to Plum Gut at about 6 to 7 knots. We arrived near the approach to the “Gut” about midnight.
Tony suggested that we sail through the “Gut” and anchor in the lee of Gardiner’s Island. Tony had read a book once about Joshua Slocum, and he fancied himself as Joshua. However, I suggested that we tack, and sail Eastward with the tide to Fisher’s Island and anchor out in West Harbor for the rest of the night. Which is what we did. We arrived at Fisher’s Island. The entrance to West Harbor seemed to me to be difficult because it was pitch black when we got there. Some of the buoys are lit, however, one has to be very careful traversing this area because there are rocks. I didn’t want to go up on a reef at 3AM. Or, anytime for that matter. We anchored in the lee of Fisher’s Island just outside of the harbor anchorage. We could see all the mast lights in the harbor of the sail boats safely tucked away. We were in an OK spot for anchoring unless the wind changed. I have two very large Fortress Anchors-one for a 75 foot boat, and one for a 50+ foot boat. I had 300-foot of 5/8” nylon rope on the largest anchor, and 150-foot on the next largest anchor and we were in 20’ of water and paid out something like 8 to 1 ratio. The next morning (Saturday), we awoke and there were several yachts around us that I did not see when we anchored. We were not interfering with anyone, but at the time I anchored I didn’t see anyone. Maybe they anchored after I did.
We hauled up the anchor at 9AM and caught the tide towards Narragansett Bay. The wind was blowing out of the South East lightly, and we intermittently needed to motor to keep the boat going. We arrived at the “X” marks the spot area off of Narragansett Bay. “X” marks the spot off Narragansett Bay is an area where the outgoing tide from Narragansett Bay turns both left towards Nantucket, or Right towards Long Island Sound. So, if one arrives at the “X” marks the spot area at the ebb tide, then they can get another 6 hours of fair tide going toward and in Vineyard Sound and into Nantucket Sound. Which is what we did.
We Sailed from Narragansett Bay along the coast, past Cuttyhunk Island, the length of Vineyard Sound with a fair tide. Meanwhile, Tony was cooking great meals on Madaket’s gas stove and oven. Luckily, it is a gimbled stove because the wind intensified, and we had Madaket moving at 7 to 8 knots in choppy seas.
At 7pm Saturday we arrived at Vineyard Haven harbor. We had a difficult time getting into the harbor because the tide switched against us, and was driving me into the danger zone beneath West Chop. A rocky area. It was about a 3 knot tide and intensifying as Nantucket Sound was emptying out into Vineyard Sound and through Woods Hole to Buzzards Bay. So, I tacked and headed over to East Chop, and sailed into Vineyard Harbor. We arrived in the Dark again, and we anchored off the beach near the draw bridge over the entrance to the “Lagoon” in the lee of the land near there. The next day Sunday, we awoke, and there were big wooden schooners moored near us that I had not seen when we anchored. After breakfast, we brought the boat into the gas dock since I only had about 4 gallons of fuel in my tank, and filled up. We paid the kid at the gas dock to let us tie up there for about 4 hours, and we went to Tony’s Vineyard Haven home which was nearby. Tony had no tenants in the home, so he checked up on some business, and we went out to a late lunch at a nearby fish restaurant called “The Net Result”. After lunch, we got on Madaket, and headed for Nantucket on Sunday afternoon.
The Vineyard Haven to Nantucket trip had us sailing in 20 knots of wind from the South East, and we went across Tuckernuck Shoal and eventually beat into Nantucket Harbor about 7pm with a fair tide. We were greeted by the ferry boat passengers who were about 10 foot from my mast when the car ferry passed to port. We scoped out the harbor to see where we wanted to moor, and decided to anchor out in the Nantucket Harbor anchorage. The anchorage is located where the worst tide currents are in Nantucket Harbor (to the left of Brant Point not too far from Coatue) and it was very dark making it difficult to figure out the anchor placement. The anchors were immediately whisked away under the boat by the tide. I had to put Madaket in reverse to ensure that the big anchor set. I was worried about backing over the line since the current moved the anchor under the boat. We set another anchor, and everything seemed to be holding very well. We spent two nights at that location on the anchors.
Monday morning we awoke to see large yachts anchored near us and we had a launch take us into downtown Nantucket. Next, we went to my home in Madaket. My Twin Brother and my niece cooked a great dinner, and I had a chance to nap for about 4 hours in my bed, and get cleaned up. Which was great since several times during the sail waves had broken over the bow and got everyone wet in the cockpit. My other crew mates also napped in real beds for a change, and showered and did laundry.
We returned that evening to sleep on the boat, and the next day (Tuesday) we went to the “Head of the Harbor” (Wauwinet) to explore. The trip to the head of the harbor is difficult since there is a 4-ft hump around Pocomo Head which creates a gateway to the upper harbor (which has sufficient depth). We satisfactorily crossed the bar, but I did see 5-foot depths on my depth sounder in several areas. We “crossed the bar” and got into the upper harbor. We sailed all around there with no other boat near us. We were kind of like Henry Hudson’s Half-Moon.
I went over to the Wauwinet House dock to pick up some relatives for a sail around the upper harbor. Guess what? There was a curmudgeon there who was most unfriendly to our request to temporarily tie up to pick people up, or even to do a “touch and go”. Most unfriendly indeed. So, we had to row into the beach, and ferry my relatives to Madaket. Of course, somebody had to come out of the Hotel to tell us it was a private beach, and asked if we have reservations at the hotel. We got everyone transferred to the Madaket, and a very brisk wind formed. We had a great sail for about 3-hours around the upper Harbor and enjoyed the scenery and large vacant land areas of Coskata creek and pond. I let everyone have a try at the helm, and finally I had to get them back to the Wauwinet House where they were parked. On my return, the Curmudgeon wasn’t there, and I transferred everyone into the shore with the row boat. Everyone got home with no one trying to kick them off the beach, which I later learned is owned by the town of Nantucket.
We anchored out in the upper harbor off of Coskata Creek, and had a great time looking at the stars, moon and other planets. It was a very clear night and there was absolutely no one around us. The next morning we went swimming, looked for clams, and prepared to leave for Nantucket Town. A 4-wheel drive police vehicle drove up on the beach near where we were just short of Coskata creek. Not sure why, but the officer was suspiciously studying us and Madaket. Luckily, Tony listened to me and did not start a beach fire-which is very much frowned upon on Nantucket. No Beach fires!
The return trip from Nantucket will be written about in next month’s “High Tidings”.
Launch News
Greetings and Salutations All,
It’s been a great summer so far, and I hope everyone got the most out of their time at the club or out on the water. Here’s just a quick reminder to our membership that the NCYC launch begins limited operations in September through October. With exception to Labor Day, beginning Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024, we will not be operating the NCYC launch Monday-Thursday. Limited launch service will be available Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays going forward.
Questions about the launch hours? Checkout the club website under the “calendar tab”. Our hours of operation are listed in yellow. There will also be a copy of the launch schedule posted in the clubhouse on the whiteboard just outside the steward’s office.
Wishing you all fair winds as we enter the final leg of our boating season.
Stay safe out there!
Bill Porter
Women on the River
Calling All Ladies
Wednesday September 11 at 5 pm NCYC is hosting a gathering of Women On The River. Join in on the fun and come meet some of the ladies from Essex Yacht Club, Corinthian, Pettipaug and Hamburg Cove. We are hosting an old fashion picnic. Bring an appetizer, salad or dessert to share. There will be hot dogs and hamburgers. The event is byob and a donation of $5 for hot dogs and hamburgers is suggested. We hope to get a fun group together to show off our club house. This is a great way of meeting other ladies from our neighbor yacht clubs. If you’re interested in joining please drop me a quick email so I can get a count for attendance. Cathy cjhmurphy@gmail.com
Yoga is back at NCYC!
Join club member and certified yoga instructor Cheryl Miller on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM for a restorative yoga class beginning on Sept. 3 through Oct. 8. Through mindful movement, participants will expand their self-awareness and explore the connection between breath, body and mind in a positive and supportive environment.
Each class will start with a brief meditation and pranayama (breath) exercises, incorporate mindful movement, and conclude with an extended Savasana (relaxation pose). Participants will have an opportunity to slow down, fully experience each pose, and release tension from their body and mind.
Classes are free. Donations to NCYC are welcome ($5 per class suggested). Club members and their guests are welcome. Just drop in with a yoga mat, and beach towel or lightweight blanket. Yoga blocks are helpful if you have them (Cheryl will also have some to share). If you have questions, contact Cheryl at clmiller509@gmail.com.
Trees in the Rigging
From the Chaplains Quiet Corner of the Cove
As we approach the autumnal equinox, the season calls us to reflect on the balance between dreams planted and realities harvested. Seeds planted long ago can create a fullness in our lives beyond expectations. The poet Rilke writes of autumn: “Command the last fruits to be full; / give them just two more southern days, / urge them on to completion and chase / the last sweetness into the heavy wine.”
As you move toward your own ripening, let go of what no longer serves you so that you may enter into this season of abundance with gratitude.
Peace,
Jean
Dog Paddle Club
From the Editor
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue of High Tidings!
Featured in this month’s Dog Paddle Club are Enzo Forella, a labradoodle of Bella Vita, Mainship Pilot 34, Sherman Williams of Pyrat Perfect, Stevie Paulson-Sachs modeling her first PFD, and Mr. Tumnus of Akvavit.
If you’d like your nautical pet to be in High Tidings, please send a photo and brief caption to me at debrasachs247@gmail.com
Fabulous photos in this issue by: Eddie Addeo, Alex Beauchene, Elio Betty, Joe Carroll, Ann Chan, Craig and Lisa Elliot, Tom and Melinda Forella, Walt Gayeski, Jean Golicz, Chris Griffin, Peter Jenkin, Bob Murphy, Deb Paulson, John and Laurie Pavlos, Kathy Reddington, Carolyn Turner, Linda Tuzzio, Amy Vinciguerra, Janet Vinciguerra, and Alex Yuknat