The
Beacon 
|
|
15 March 2005
Volume 4, Issue 2
P.O. Box 211, Glen Cove, NY 11542
www.GlenCoveYachtClub.org
Glen Cove Yacht Club Home Page
|
|
The
Beacon
|
|
|
|
15 March 2005 |
|
Volume 4, Issue 2 |
|
|
P.O. Box 211, Glen Cove, NY 11542 |
www.GlenCoveYachtClub.org |
||
|
My Dear Friends, the snow is melting and pretty soon nature will wake up to the glory of spring. It will be time for us to prepare paint, brushes, and all the tools we need to install the new gadgets we bought during the winter for our lovely boats. Another season of joy in the water is approaching. As you prepare your tools for your boat, please remember that you also need to help us - the members of the Board who have worked all winter to prepare your Clubhouse. I am expecting you "in force" on the work days. Our scheduled work days for this year are April 2, 3, 9, and 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will be putting in the docks on April 23 and 24. We need you! The Club needs you! YOUR Club needs you!! If by some lack of luck you are not available to participate in any work days, you will have the rest of the season to make up for it. You may not know this, but we have many "special projects" (small repairs, painting, etc.) that can be done at your convenience. Don't worry if you forget about doing your part in the ongoing work of the Club -- I won't forget to remind you! I would like to say a special thank you to our House Members and Senior Members for your continuing support of our Club. I speak for all Boat Members when I ask that you participate in more Club activities. If you like to spend time on boats, do not hesitate to ask to be a member of a boat crew. And Boat Members, if you need crew, please contact the house members. We have more and more power boat members and we welcome you. The common love of the water is shared by all boat owners. I would especially like to see more power boat members join us during our cruises - these are NOT just for sailboats! We have a lot of fun on our cruises, and power boats are welcome with open arms. In the meantime I am looking forward to seeing you all at the Spring General Membership Meeting on April 20, where we will present the design for our new docks. I also expect to see you first and foremost at the Commissioning Day Party on May 14 at 3:00 p.m. Bon Vent, ~ Herve Riou, Commodore of the Glen Cove Yacht Club |
|||||
|
Page 2 |
||||||
|
Now that we have passed the darkest days of the year and are launched into a brand new calendar year, we can look forward to a great season at the club and on the water. Start making those lists of tasks to commission your boat, trips to plan and talk to other members about, club repairs you can offer, and those you can tell about the wonderful environment of the GCYC. As you make plans for your family and friends, let others know about our club and the advantages, hospitality and convenience we offer. By expanding to just a few members more, we can offer more amenities and refurbished accommodations to everyone. The message for 2005, is "bring a friend" to join the club. Please refer any prospects to me (Jim Dahl 516-676-6097) and we will put them on the mailing list for our great newsletter so they can see our program. They should also visit our website at "glencoveyachtclub.org". I look forward to a terrific boating year with all of you. Best wishes. ~ Jim Dahl, Vice Commodore
The Club experimented with some extended hours last season for launch service and we would like to repeat it this year. During the peak season (June through August), we offered additional Launch service on Fridays starting at 3 PM, and service on Mondays from 10 AM to 6 PM. Our schedule will always include full day Launch Service (from 9 AM) on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays, with Wednesday evenings from 5 PM for the midweek fishermen and racers. The cost of Launch Operations is the major expenditure in our annual budget and we want to get the biggest bang for the buck. We welcome any comments on what the most desirable hours would be on these expanded days. If any member has a son or daughter interested in being a Launch Operator for the season, please let us know. They should be 16 years of age minimum. Training will be provided. Please e-mail your comments to my attention: info@glencoveyachtclub.org ~ Dave Nieri, Fleet Captain
I've been meaning, for some time, to share my recent racing success with you. Since Jim is probably struggling to come up with copy for this off-season newsletter, I figure that now's a good time. Besides, either I write this or I do my income taxes. I've been racing my J/27 "Amethyst" since I purchased her in 1986 and I guess it's true what they say about practice. I've never had a better year of racing then in 2004. Sure there were a few races that I wouldn't mind forgetting. Especially the one when I hit the rocks off City Island while racing. The keel was damaged which required me to do a short haul to repair it. This occurred in early June, approximately 18 hours after launching the boat for the season. Oh well, I guess one must take the bad with the good. Prior to that I had already raced in approximately 15 races but none were on L.I. Sound. In January 2004 we placed 3rd in our 8 boat division after a week of racing in Key West, Florida. That was the best we'd ever done there as the "hot shots" from all over the country go there to race. There was even a boat in my division from British Columbia, Canada. Then in May we raced in the NOOD (National Offshore One Design) Regatta in Annapolis, MD. It was our J/27 "North Americans" and we convincingly beat the other 5 J/27's with all firsts, except for two second place finishes, in 7 races over 3 days. After repairing the keel damage in June, I re-launched the boat the next Friday afternoon and left that night for a week of racing at Block Island. When you do damage like that, one always questions whether the boat will be as fast afterwards. It didn't take long to find out that "Amethyst" was as good as new (for a 19 year old boat). We won our nine-boat division by 2 points after completing 7 races. After that, we stayed in western Long Island Sound for the remainder of the season. We won at Larchmont race week (it's actually two weekends of racing) in July. Then we had an eight weekend in a row stretch of racing which started in early September. We won at the Larchmont NOOD, Eastchester Bay Fall Series, and the Manhasset Bay Fall Series. We also finished second at the American Yacht Club's Fall Series and the Fall Greenwich Cup. In December, I was awarded (for the third year in a row) the Competitor's Trophy at the annual awards night for the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound. The trophy is for the best overall performance in the spinnaker fleet, for the season, with a PHRF rating of over 117. |
I guess you could say that we're starting off 2005 where we left off in 2004. This past January, we finally won (after 3 prior tries) our nine-boat division at Key West Race Week. It was a convincing win as we were 8 points ahead of the second place boat. If interested in seeing the results go to: http://www.premiere-racing.com/ and click on 2005 Results and Reports, then click on Division 4 and then look for "Amethyst" in PHRF 7. While in Key West this year I came across a sign with approximately ten indicators pointing in the directions of distant locations throughout the country. I thought of all of you when I noticed that Glen Cove was among those indicated. You can be proud to know that a GCYC member is racing and winning both on Long Island Sound and up and down the east coast. I wanted to bring my racing results to your attention while I had the opportunity. It doesn't get any better than this! ~ Doug Davies
Winters grip is loosening and the 2005 Cruising season lies just over the horizon. As you prepare your boats keep in mind the provisions you need for cruising, especially the charts covering the areas where you will be going. Saturday June 11th We have changed from a trip to Port Washington for dinner to a raft-up near Bar Beach in the Southern end of our harbor. All boats large and small are welcome to join. In fact one of the reasons for this raft-up is to encourage some of the motorboats and small sailboats to come and join in the fun. Starting at Four O'clock in the afternoon we will rendezvous across from the south end of the Tappan Beach Marina on the West side of the harbor. Boaters should fly their Club Burgees to help identify our group. Sandy Hook NJ Cruise This promises to be the Club Cruise of the summer and requires the most planning and coordination. Although it was billed as a five-day cruise it's more realistically a five and a half day cruise. Boats should notify me of their intent to join this cruise. There will be a skippers meeting prior to cruise to cover any last minute issues. There will be several plans in place to accommodate the weather if need be, but the general layout so far is as follows. Wed. July 20th Sail to an anchorage within easy reach of the Throggs Neck bridge for an early start on Thursday morning. There are a few locations for anchoring, which will be determined by the predicted weather at the skippers meeting. Thurs. July 21st Up early in the morning and underway to catch the right tide down the East River. We should be passing under the Throggs Neck Bridge by 9 AM for a swift journey down to New York Harbor and out the narrows and across the Lower Bay to Sandy Hook. Anchoring for the night in Horseshoe Cove. Fri. July 22nd An easy morning, perhaps a chance to go ashore or swim. Followed by a short hop over to Atlantic Highlands NJ. A Club Dinner at the "Memphis Pig Out" Sat. July 23rd Layover day or if the weather is right, going to another location in the area. There will be more on this in future briefings after I have had some communications with other Yacht Clubs in the vicinity. Sun. July 24th Leaving the Lower Bay behind we sail back into New York Harbor and proceed to the Liberty Landing Marina on the New Jersey shore across from the southern tip of Manhattan. A Club dinner on the converted Lightship "Winter Quarter" Mon. July 23rd An early start to the last day of our cruise to round the tip of Manhattan by 8 AM to catch the right tide headed back up the East River and home to Glen Cove There are costs to this trip and reservations to be made and more planning to be done. I strongly encourage those interested in participating to contact me. ~ Chris Brown
|
|||||
|
Page 3 |
||||||
|
Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the American flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 Colonies, but we learn something new every day. A.- The 1st fold of our flag is a symbol of life. B.- The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life. C.- The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world. D.- The 4th fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance. E.- The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong." F.- The 6th fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. G.- The 7th fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic. H.- The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day. I.- The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the characters of the men and women who have made this country great, have been molded. J.- The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born. K.- The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews' eyes, the God Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. L.- The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians' eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. M.- The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the Stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation's motto, "In God We Trust." After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today. There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why. ~ Herve Riou, Commodore
The Club has purchased a dock cart that fits the narrow ramp down to the docks. It's a strong fiberglass design with large wheels for easy rolling. The job of unloading the car and getting it all to the launch or dinghy should now be much easier. The cart will be kept in the Clubhouse for all to use. It will be the responsibility of the user to return the cart back to the Clubhouse for the next member to use. |
We will have a new float configuration this year and for many years to come. This is result of the purchase of two new floats, see "D" and "E" on the attached sketch (at back of Newsletter). These basically replace our two previous dinghy floats which are beyond repair. The new floats are wider and also placed further out to provide an "L" shape and a new west facing 70' landing area in deep water. We will still have our South and North facing landing areas on each side of docks "A,B & C". One of the old dinghy floats might (depending on what we can do to fix one up) be located at "F" as shown. This is optional and will allow us to keep some of the seldom used member dinghies in low water. The other dinghies will be kept inside of "D" & "E" on the east side in a double row. Hopefully they will be better protected from passing boat wakes. We are able to fund these new floats and the pile relocations with existing funds. This is due to good fiscal management of Club funds in prior years. We look forward to "Easy Landing" and even more fun at the Club in future years!! ~ Larry Ward and the Board
Hey, I thought you guys might get a kick out of this. My fiancé, Nicole, and myself keep our CS 27, Pengwynn, in Glen Cove, Long Island. Cruising Long Island Sound is great for a couple of amateur sailors like ourselves. Our dreams are big but our budget is very small for what Pengwynn could and should be. We are always loyal to the normal off-season duties one has owning a boat (scraping, painting, varnishing, waxing, etc.) In exchange for our effort we purchase one or two items that will enhance our comfort or customary wants; something we can enjoy, not just something needed for our Pengwynn to operate correctly. This off season we decided to get a good quality quilt or comforter for the V-berth. The spring and early summer are still capable of giving us some cold nights on the Sound. Over our first few seasons we tried several different routes. We tried "borrowing" the old blanket from the parents house without them noticing. That was short lived. We brought an inexpensive blanket at the local superstore but realized that our greedy sleeping styles were too much for such a small piece of material. Every morning we'd wake up and one would have the whole blanket and the other would be shivering. This lead to the "blanket for each" method. We didn't like that one. We were just about ready to bite the bullet and splurge on a large, good quality comforter when my Mother intervened. She requested that I hand over all my Jimmy Buffet T-shirts (NOOoooo!). With some reluctance I gave her the concert T-shirts from Madison Square Garden, Nassau Coliseum and that great benefit show he did a few years back at South Hampton Community College. Twelve shirts in total were taken from me. My pain turned to joy when I saw what she created - our own personal Jimmy Buffett quilt and matching throw pillow. Mom had cut the shirts so that the designs on the front and back of each shirt could be used as a square within the quilt. The pillow was made in the same manner and has two chest pockets saved off two of the shirts. She made the quilt almost eight feet square, so there is plenty of room for two of us. On the bottom corner of the inside of the quilt there is a small logo taken from the front of one of the shirts, a lounging lizard sporting sunglasses and a straw hat with the inscription... "I gotta go where it's warm!". With this quilt, Nicole and myself are already there aboard Pengwynn. Reprinted from Latitudes and Attitudes, Nov. 04 ~ Peter Cleary, Floral Park NY |
|||||
|
Page 4 |
||||||
It is hard to think of Jimmy Buffett as a New York Times Best Selling Author. Although many of us have read at least one of his books, we sailors tend to think of Buffett as a favorite among cruising, or post racing musicians, synonymous with laid back fun and the occasional romp and stomp that goes along with all things boating. Well, Buffett is at it again, with the pen that is, and his new offering is served up with the same hearty helping of lounging, alcohol, wander lust and adventure that most of his musical and literary platters contain. Okay, so what's the story all about? In A Salty Piece of Land (Little, Brown & Company) Buffett takes the cowboy Tully Mars and his trusted pony, Mr. Twain (yes, he could have been more creative with the names, but then, again, that just wouldn't be the Buffett that we love) on an amazing adventure in which he encounters a variety of characters, including bounty hunters, a country music superstar, a shaman, and a 101-year-old sea captain who takes him to an abandoned lighthouse that will change his life forever. In both song and literature, master storyteller, Buffett captures the tropical essence of many of his signature songs in the mesmerizing tale. When Tully awakes from a ganga high on a beach in Tulum, he glimpses a 142-foot schooner, the ship of a mariner's dream. But the Lucretia is as real as her captain, Cleopatra Highbourne, who owns a small island and is on a quest to restore it's lighthouse. The search to find a rare lens to complete the project leads Tully, Cleopatra, and their friends on a wild and unforgettable journey. Jimmy Buffett's books and albums have long been renowned for the magical spell they cast on his fans, transporting them to a place where the sun shines, the cocktails are cold and anything is possible. A Salty Piece of Land continues this tradition. Reprinted from Windcheck Magazine
Provided by the National Safe Boating Council These five simple steps will dramatically reduce your chances of being hurt or killed in a boating accident. #1. - WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET! |
This coming July we will have the 2nd Annual GCYC Photo Contest in conjunction with the holiday picnic. Again the rules are simple: WHO: Any member of the Glen Cove Yacht Club or their relative or friend. The photo entered must have been taken by the person entering it. So get your camera warmed up, your photos ready and plan on joining us for the 4th of July at the Club.
Communications 2005 Newsletter Information For the upcoming season the Newsletter will be published three more times on the following dates. These dates have been chosen to allow the membership ample and timely notice of all Club events. The time and date in parentheses are the deadlines for submission for each issue. 1 July 2005 (4:00 PM 24 June) 1 September 2005 (4:00 PM 26 August) Any and all submissions will be greatly appreciated. Please forward to: 167 Cypress Street Floral Park, NY 11001 516 437-6107 All members will receive the Newsletter in the mail. Those who prefer to access the newsletter via the Internet will find each issue posted on the Club website at:
|
|||||
|
|
||||||