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Even with a frozen bay and temperatures holding steady in the 20s, the prudent mariner has started preparations for the spring. For my Tartan 27, Olin, it’s the routine of adding a few coats of spar varnish to the mahogany bits and pieces that spend winter in my basement. For the Yacht Club, it’s the planning that’s necessary to fit together the jigsaw puzzle of a schedule, facilities, and members.
“the prudent mariner has started preparations for the spring.”
One of the more evident challenges is in piecing together a working dock system come April. The past year was particularly hard on our dock hardware, with rising waters and northeast winds bending the aluminum structure to its limits. Vice Commodore Bob Cornwell and Dock Boss Jim Dye will be working on a plan to repair and possibly reconfigure our docks to deal what will most likely will
be another high water summer.
This spring will also require close attention to the m a i n t e n a n c e and continued operations of our committee boats. The Targa 27, our Wednesday Night signal boat, will require professional attention to its hydraulic steering system as well as a fair amount of hands-on TLC from the members. We’ll be scheduling a work bee in April to focus on the committee boats, so we can get a coat of wax on the Targa and the Whaler, plus a bottom paint on the big boat. Also, our “new to us” 17-foot hard-bottom inflatable RIB, purchased with the surplus from last year’s Chubb event, will be joining our fleet this spring and will require a bit of a buff before
Cultivating a Rich and Proud Legacy of Boating
for Pleasure and Sport
In This IssueFrom the Helm p1-2GTYC Social Media p2Social Committee p3Remembering J. Briggs p4Membership Cmtee p5Cruisers + Learning p6Misc. Ramblings p7Race Committee p8Ruth p9Coming Events p10Heard ‘Round the Club p10
Waterlines EditorKim Marian
Submissions due by the 4th Tuesday of the month prior to publication - 500 words or less please.
ISSUE 56-03MARCH 2015
From the Helm
Check the Club’s ONLINE CALENDAR for Up-to-date Event Info.Refer to NORs and SIs for official racing dates, not the online calendar
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entering service as our primary safety boat.
Another legacy of the 2014 Chubb Championships will be the six 420 dinghies purchased by TACS from the Chicago Yacht Club as a part of the deal that brought the RIB to the club. The TACS high school racing program, under the leadership of Dave Gerber, will sail from our club throughout the season, including more advanced summer programs which will bring more small boat sailing to our club. We’ll be working with TACS to integrate the use of the boats with our ever-increasingly busy facilities -- we’re always open to creative solutions that help us get the most out of our club.
We hope that you’ll be part of the conversations that shape all our of planning and implementation with these projects. We need many voices and many hands to best serve our club and community, and there’s no time like the present!
See you at the Club!
JOJordan [email protected]
Many GTYC members keep up with the action at the the club through our page on Facebook, but did you know that the club also lives on the internet at a couple other addresses?
If you’re on Twitter, you can find the yacht club as @GrandTraverseYC. Once race season is in full swing, that will be a great place to find results updates plus social news and photos.
On Pinterest, the club is also “GrandTraverseYC”. See what the Commodore has added to our collections as he browses that corner of the internet looking
for inspiration for our own events. Also, he’s added photos from weddings & receptions held at our club so you can see how things look when our place is buffed up to a high sheen!
(From the Helm, continued from page 1)
DID YOU KNOW? -- GTYC SOCIAL MEDIAJO
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2015 GTYC SOCIAL SEASON WELL UNDERWAY!Jed Mooney
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Kudos to our Cruisers Fleet for their Mardi Gras-themed “Krewe Pahwty” (as we would say in the Big Easy) to kick off the Crew Dinner series - picking up the slack from your slacker Social Committee who couldn’t get their act together in time to throw the kick-off event promised in this space last month! The Cruisers did a jumbo-gumbo, jambaliscious job, serving 85+ paid dinners to do better than break-even, and even added some income to the “Cruising Kitty” fund which is used to help pay for improvements and enhancements to our Club.
The “Stock the Pantry at Sweet Home Alabama” crew dinner was hosted on Friday, Feb. 27. In celebration of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Johnnie Van Zant’s birthday, the crews of Knockout, Big Red, and Jessie Marie (did you know that’s the name of Garrett Walker’s Irwin 37?) developed a fun thematic menu and supported local food pantries. Congrats, crews, on a rockin’ job!
March is filling up with crew dinner events: On “lucky” Friday the 13th, the O’llusion St. Paddy’s Party, hosted by the crews of Illusion, Gotta Wanta, Spyke, and assorted other leprchauns will serve the traditional Irish boiled dinner and accompaniments. The following Friday, March 20, will showcase the culinary skills of the crew of Liberty, assisted by the TACS High School Sailing Team for a Made to Order Personal Pizza. The ever-popular “Yooper Night” crew dinner hosted by Chalk Dust crew led by Barb and Steve Hutchens featuring “Barb’s Pasties” will be held on Friday, March 27.
April is beginning to take shape as well, with the crew of Spyke reserving Friday, April 10 for their crew dinner, with more details to follow in the next issue of Waterlines. Three Fridays in April remain available for crew dinner hosting: April 3, April 17, and April 24. Incidentally, April 24 is also the date for the GTYC Spring Membership Meeting, which,
combined with a crew dinner, just might boost attendance for both - just sayin’ ...
Don’t forget: Hosting a crew dinner can earn “participation points” toward lowering a boat’s rating for the Nan-C-Jay Race this summer! Contact the Social Committee at [email protected] to reserve one of the few remaining dates and to make arrangements for your event.
Also in April, the Social Committee’s Speaker Series will hold a joint event on Sat, April 25 with the Maritime Heritage Alliance featuring slide/video presentations by Doug Roberts and Bryan Smith highlighting their cruises to Europe on Mindemoya, and to the North Channel and Georgian Bay on MHA’s Madeline, respectively. These travelogues will make for an entertaining evening enhanced by a cash bar and $10-a-plate supper service.
So, despite the recent bitter cold & snowy weather, there’s plenty of warm, welcoming, winter activity going on at your Grand Traverse Yacht Club - y’all come back, now, heeaahh?!
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The passing of John Briggs on February 7 saddens us all. John was a good guy, enjoyed the outdoors, and loved to sail his Laser at the GTYC. John wrote many articles for Waterlines. His humor and wit were priceless. When John returned from the 2002 Masters Laser World Championships (Hyannis, MA), he submitted the following article in the January 2003 Waterlines, “Just Like an Australian”. We will miss John Briggs and will think of him every time we launch. — Tom Babel
IN MEMORIUMJohn Briggs (1952-2015)
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MEMBERSHIPRob Lovell, 2015 Membership Chair
WELCOME ABOARD, HONORARY MEMBERS!
The Board of the Grand Traverse Yacht Club has approved the Honorary Members for 2015. This year, we have added two founding members to our list of Honorary Members. Ruth Sweeney, the widow of our Club’s third Commodore, Bud Sweeney, join Mary and Paul Hazleton as our newest Honorary Members. With their vessel, Queen Mary, the Hazeltons were integral parts of our early Race Committee. I’ve heard a few interesting tales about the Queen Mary, pictured here. If you would like to hear a few yourself, we hope that you will join us Friday evening, May 22 for the Founders Day event.
This year’s Honorary Members include:
Founding Members •JeanCornwell •LeeDeVos •ArthurDundon •MaryandPaulHazleton •JoniMcGuffin •RuthSweeney
Longtime Members •NedLockwood •SandraLockwood •ElaineStacy
Maritime Academy and Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City •RADMGeraldAchenbach •State of Michigan Captain Joseph McGuiness •XO,CommanderShadSSoldano •Commanderof USCGASTC,CaptainSeanMCross •Master Chief of Station Richard Steffey
Welcome Aboard!
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Join BCYC on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the Bella Vita Boyne City Restaurant. Andrew Kerr, J24 and Santana 20 National Champion, will tell us that it takes more than just speed to win - you have to be SMART! So, make your move to the front! The seminar will use a unique tactical case study method that brings tactical concepts to life. You will learn to nail your starts, consolidate your leads, and gain at the corners.
You’llgeta fulldayseminarwithanexperiencedNorthUinstructor (9:00am - 4:30pm); every participant receives theNorthUTacticsDiscorUSBforhomestudyandreview-thesamematerialAndrewwillusetoteachthecourse;Registration now open at NorthU.com.
Skipper $115 Additional Crew $85Junior Sailors & Students $50 Lunch $10 per person
Skippers, Crew, Junior Sailors - Everyone should be on the same page - Now is the time to make your move to the front! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to improve your sailing and racing skills. We look forward to seeing you there!
Thursday,March12•6pmCocktails,7pmPotluckDinner,PresentationtoFollow
Speaker: Commodore Jordan Owen
A Virtual Cruise of Talbot County, Maryland - A Bridge Away From Reality
Join Commodore Owen for a virtual cruise around one of America’s most accessible and historic cruising grounds on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, visiting the tidewater communities of St. Michaels, Tilghman Island, and Oxford, MD through images and stories of past and present.
WinterCruisersRendezvous•Saturday,March21,3pmTucker’s of Northport
A bit of bowling, eating, and fun to pass the time while the bay thaws. All GTYC members welcome! Please RSVP to [email protected] so we can get a headcount for lane reservations.
2015 NORTH U RACING TACTICS SEMINARBCYC
CRUISING FLEET MEETING • MARCH 12
WINTER CRUISING RENDEZVOUS • MARCH 21
CRUISING CORNER + OFF-WATER LEARNING
Hooper Strait Light
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Stuggling for a topic this month, our editor suggested a brief history of code flags, so here goes. Most of this is from Wikepedia so we know that it is all true!!!
It was in 1857 that the International Code of Signals was officially published by the British Board of Trade. The purpose of the code was to establish a set of rules for maritime communication that everyone would understand. Originally, the code included 18 signal flags that could be combined to signal about 17,000 various messages. Nautical flag history includes two important years of change. In 1932 the flag signal code was expanded by adding six more flags for different languages that included French and Spanish. Then in 1969, even more flags were added to accommodate Russian and Greek languages.
There are various methods by which the flags can be used as signals:
- Each flag spells an alphabetic message, letter by letter.
- Individual flags have specific and standard meanings; for example, diving support vessels raise the “A flag” indicating their inability to move from their current location because they have a diver underwater and (more importantly) to warn other vessels to keep clear to avoid chopping up the diver(s) with their propellers.
- One or more flags form a code word whose meaning can be looked up in a code book held by both parties. An example is the Popham numeric code used at the Battle of Trafalgar.
- In yacht racing and dinghy racing, flags have other meanings; for example, the “P flag” is used as the “preparatory” flag to indicate an imminent start, and the “S flag” means “shortened course” (for more details see Race Signals).
Next month I’ll cover the signals that our ‘It’s Wednesday Night!!!’ racers can expect to see this season and a brief explanation of the rules that will be in effect.
The Traverse City Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering some boating classes this spring. Here is a brief list. For more info or to register contact Dianne Walker at 941-8076, 883-8040, or [email protected]. All classes are being held at the Coast Guard Station and preregistration is required at least 2 days prior to the class:
About Boating Safety — for novice recreational boaters age 12+. Covers boating safety, safety equipment, emergency procedures, navigation rules and aids, boating regulations, and charting. Cost is $10. Meets in 2 sessions and is being offered twice: - Tues, Mar 17, 5:30-9p & Sat, Mar 21, 9a-1:30p - Tues, May 26, 5:30-9p & Sat, May 30, 9a-1:30p
Navigational Charting — How to chart a course on West Bay. Charts and navigational tools will be provided. Cost is $10: Thur, Apr 9, 6-9p
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) — Navigation for mariners, chart plotting, and using GPS to navigate. All are encouraged to read the owners manual for their unit prior to the class. GPS units will be provided. Cost is $10: Thur, Apr 23, 6-9p
Mariners Knots, Boat Radio, and Weather — A new boater safety class for those interested in learning more about tying knots, using marine radios, and unerstanding the weather that affects boaters. Will also include discussion of the most common types of boating accidents. Cost is $10: Tues, May 12, 6-9p
Paddle Craft Safety Course — Canoe and kayak safety, boat selection, gear to carry, what to wear, mistakes to avoid, and paddle club information. Cost is $10: Tues, Jun 9, 6-9p
Finally, let’s all be safe out there as we survive the remaining winter and move into SPRING. If you do venture onto the ice don’t go alone, wear a PFD, have a set of ‘picks’ around your neck and readily accessible. Oh, and it’s probably a good idea to carry and use a GPS in case of a whiteout. When we do see water again (any bets???) remember that the water is going to be VERY cold well through the boating season. ‘Nuf said???
MISC. RAMBLINGSPC40
A PS
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RACE COMMITTEE
With the move of the GTYC Annual Regatta to the third weekend of August, two historic pieces of hardware are coming out of the trophy case to be recommissioned for the 2015 regatta.
The Windjammer Trophy, active from 1964 to 1991 for the Charlevoix - Traverse City race, will be presented to the winner of the new time trial race from Charlevoix’s Red 2 buoy to Traverse City’s Red 8 for visiting racers delivering from the north. The race will take place in a window between Wednesday morning and Friday evening, offering racers flexibility in when they choose to sail the course. The Windjammer Trophy will be presented at Saturday evening’s Mount Gay Rum Party. Entry for the Windjammer Race will be free, included in the general Hound Dog registration.
2 HISTORIC GTYC TROPHIES RECOMMISSIONED FOR 2015 HOUND DOG REGATTA
The Park Place Trophy, originally awarded for the Labor Day series from 1969 to 1974, will be revived for the new Grand Touring race division. This division will feature PHRF handicap racing, including a JAM division, on courses featuring longer legs on all points of sail. Two races will be sailed on Saturday and one on Sunday.
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BANG, CRASH, SPLINTER
RUTH RAILSITTER
Hi, it’s me, Ruth, down here in the islands just waiting for the statute of limitations to run out so I can get back to all my dear friends and the Club I love so much.
As I write this, I am having the cabana boy rub lotion on my still-taut body. STOP RIGHT THERE, no prurient thoughts, it’s strictly research. I am working on my book, Fifty Shades of Suntan. Hopefully it will be turned into a movie and we can film it at the Club.
Do you ever get struck with a premonition of impending catastrophe; like you are afraid something is going to happen? I get the feeling occasionally, and it usually relates to the Club. Like the one I got the night the Board approved Eric’s membership application, or the night
that cigarette got put out in the bushes, or the day our most infamous bachelor was married. Well, I got it a few days ago and it was so intense I called the Commodore to see if everything was alright. It wasn’t.
Seems that one of the members of the cruising fleet drove his car into the kids playroom. The mystery is, “why?” Was he making a statement about our lack of parking and just wanted to give us a couple of more spaces? Was the topic of the evening “making space on a crowded dock” and it was a practical demonstration? I am not sure, but I will tell you that every sailor I know at one time or another has hit a dock, another boat, or land. No big deal; all part of the total experience. Welcome to the club of real sailors!
Can’t wait to hear about next month’s topic: Spring Commissioning. Subjects to be covered are bottom polishing and mast erections.
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MarchMar 1 GTYC Ski Meet-upMar 3, 6p Ice Boat MeetingMar 4, 5:30p Craft NightMar 11, 7p Euchre NightMar 12, 6p Cruising Fleet MeetingMar 13 O’llusion/Gotta Wanta/Spyke Crew DinnerMar 17, 6p GTYC Board Meeting (Happy St. Pat’s!)Mar 20 Liberty/TCHS Sailing Crew DinnerMar 24 Waterlines Submissions DueMar 25, 6:30p Commodore’s Team Trivia Night #3Mar 27 Yooper/Pastie Crew Dinner
AprilApr 1, 5:30p Craft Night - No Foolin’! (April Fool’s Day)Apr 5 Easter Brunch (Hoppy Easter!)Apr 7, 6p Ice Boat MeetingApr 8, 7p Euchre NightApr 9, 6p Cruising Fleet MeetingApr 10 Spyke Crew DinnerApr 18 Spring Club Clean-up (& Dock-in?) DayApr 21, 6p GTYC Board MeetingApr 22, 6:30p Commodore’s Team Trivia Night #4Apr 24 GTYC Spring Membership MeetingApr 25 GTYC/MHA Speaker EventApr 28 Waterlines Submissions Due
Check the Club’s ONLINE CALENDAR for Up-to-date Event Info.Refer to NORs and SIs for official racing dates, not the online calendar
COMING EVENTS
Because a date/holiday is listed should not imply the Club is open for that holiday.
SEEN AND HEARD AROUND THE CLUBphotos and quotes may be wholly unrelated
Everything is betterwith bacon!
You can tell he’s a (insert surname here) ... he didn’t spill the beer!
We better mind our P’s & Q’s ... Ruth’s back!
It’s the Commodog,
Hadley!
