The American Yacht Club Newsletter Issue 9September 2015 The American Yacht Club Newsletter Issue 9 1 FROM THE MASTHEAD Barry Gluck, Commodore C heer up, folks! Yes, summer has slipped

September 2015 The American Yacht Club Newsletter Issue 9

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FROM THE MASTHEAD Barry Gluck, Commodore

Cheer up, folks! Yes, summer has slipped behind us and isnow off our aft quarter. But the fall boating season is just

getting started, and it is certain to be a busy, fun-filledSeptember at the AYC.

Gina Phipps organized a Share a Sail Day on Saturday,September 12, designed for boatless members to go for a shortafternoon sail on other members’ sailboats. The day was sunnyand quite a few members and boats participated. Crew memberssimply supplied snacks and beverages for their host skippers,which was greatly appreciated. Tammy and I participated. Ifyou did too, maybe you could writean article about yourexperience for the next Sailorgram.

Our next AYC General Meeting will be held at 19:30 (7:30p.m.) on Monday, September 14 in the clubhouse. Please doattend, as these meetings are a great way to stay connected,learn about events and issues affecting your club, andparticipate in making decisions that will determine the AYC’sfuture. It’s also a great excuse to get down to the club on aweeknight, enjoy the beautiful views, and kibitz with fellowboating enthusiasts.

The annual Chet Young Regatta will be held on Saturday,September 19. This long-running AYC tradition is actuallythree great events packed into one day: a pancake breakfast, arace, and a follow-up dinner. AYC Members and their guestscan participate in any combination of these three events. So,

even if you are not racing, come enjoy the breakfast and/ordinner.

The day kicks off at 08:30 with a pancake breakfast sponsoredby Sue and Curt Young. The cost is just $3 per person and res-ervations are not required. Registration for the race begins at10:30. The Skippers’ meeting will be held at 11:00, and the racestart is scheduled for 13:00 (1:00 p.m.). The regatta fee is $20,and you will need to bring your current PHRF certificate.Contact Regatta Committee Chairman Amy Sison for moredetails.

The dinner will be served at 18:00 (6:00 p.m.). It will be cateredby Oregano’s and will include pasta with meatballs, chickenbroccoli penne, Caesar salad, and a brownie sundae. The cost is$15 per adult, $10 per child. Please RSVP to Amy Sison bySeptember 12.

On Friday, September 25, Steve Dewey and Mark Friend willbe hosting a Movie & Pizza Night, beginning at 19:30 (7:30p.m.). Stay tuned for more information.

Finally, there is September sailing! Fall is actually my favoriteseason for sailing. The river is far less congested, the tempera-tures are cool and refreshing, the breezes are exhilarating, andthe seals are back! So cheer up! There is still plenty of fun to behad down at the AYC.

Wishing you fair winds and following seas!

Dan Edson photo


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2015 Activities and EventsEVENT DATE TIME HOST

Share a Sail 9/12 Sat. 1:00 p.m. Gina Phipps

Chet Young Pancake Breakfast 9/19 Sat . 8:30 a.m. Curt and Susan Young

Chet Young Race 9/19 Sat . 10:30 a.m. Regatta Committee

Chet Young Dinner 9/19 Sat . 6:00 p.m. Regatta Committee

Movie and Pizza Night 9/25 Fri. 7:30 p.m. Steve Dewey (Mark Friend)

Apple Pie & Chili Cook-Off 10/7 Wed. 6:30 p.m. Marlene Switzer and Ali Santarlasci(Shannon Hewey)

Some recent AYC conversations regarding how theSailorgram edits manuscript have resulted in a new

submission policy: From now on, if an author writes an articleand would prefer to leave it unedited, he or she can simplyindicate so above the article title. Four caveats, however, shouldbe noted: (1) the article must be provided in .doc, .docx, or .rtfformat; (2) it also must be within the file, not just in the emailbody to which it is attached; (3) the article must be formattedusing Times Roman font, size 12, and include the Title inboldface, and the Submitted by in italics; and (4) use onlysingle spaces between sentences.

In the future, we may try to implement another policy forauthors who wish to review our edits. This may simply beunworkable, as no publication I know of allows this level ofscrutiny for many good reasons. Yet, we’ll see if we can find away to make it work. But for now, please use the above method,clearly indicating if you want your piece to be edited or not.

The Sailorgram is an all-volunteer AYC effort with a very smallstaff and a zero budget. Fortunately, our editorial staff is veryknowledgeable, and most are professional editors and writers.They do an exceptional job scanning our written articles andcleaning them up for spelling, punctuation, grammar andsyntax, while making almost every article a bit clearer and morereadable. These unsung heroes donate their valuable time, andthe Sailorgram and its readers reap the benefit.

Some of our editors have written articles which were edited byothers for our publication. I’m not sure who said it, but I’llattribute it to science fiction writer Gareth Powell who asserted,

“Write without fear; edit without mercy.” Every professionalwriter will tell you this is how things are done for publication.The Sailorgram, however, has always been quite merciful andwill continue to be so. But edit we must as we strive to providea quality newsletter.

Our editors work to remain true to the content and author’s“voice” as they interpret it, yet repair common writing mistakes,and add clarity wherever they feel it is necessary. This is the jobof editors at any publication. Most authors never even recognizethe repairs that have been made, but are very happy that theysound so good in print. For example, there hasn’t been a singleMasthead article published since October 2007, when I took thereins, that hasn’t been edited by one or more of us.

Sometimes we edit for length, because the Sailorgram is anewsletter, not a magazine. I personally have written articleswhere entire paragraphs or article sections have been cut. Iknow of submissions trimmed to almost half their length inorder to fit our format. And, yes, we have even discardedarticles which were off-topic or too technical to be easilyunderstood.

The Sailorgram has a policy of printing errata and mistakeswhen found. If authors read their submission in the Sailorgramand feel we failed to do it justice or incorrectly edited it, theyshould let me know. Taking the issue up with anyone else isquite unproductive.

Why? Because the copy editors aren’t responsible for the finalpublication. Only I am.

(Continued on page 3)

An Editorial on EditingSubmitted by Jim Grenier, Managing Editor


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Follow me, for a moment: When anarticle arrives, I scan it make sure it is suitable for theSailorgram. Then it is posted to our group of four editors. Anyeditor who has the time (and sometimes none do) will downloadthe original article and make their edits and place it where thelayout persons can retrieve it. It is then placed in the layout.When all the material is placed onto the pages, it is my job tomake it all fit and look great. If an article doesn’t quite fit, I mayedit it down further until it does, trying not to affect anythingimportant. The same sort of thing goes for cropping and sizingphotos, scaling calendars, and so on.

Once I have everything positioned and formatted, theSailorgram goes to our proofreader. This person is a real pro,

too. He ultimately finds things that the copy editors and Imissed and suggests improvements, which I usually agree with.This means that our copy editors do not know the final editsimposed on any article submission.

Please keep in mind that almost all the Sailorgram workhappens over the course of under a week. Our submissiondeadlines are set in order to have a Sailorgram for you everymonth. It is quite a bit of work jammed into only a few days byvolunteers—all who have other jobs, projects, and lives beyondthe club.

So, don’t hesitate to point out any Sailorgram errors, but pointthem out only to me.

(Continued from page 2)

Editing

Katharine “Kay” MulliganSubmitted by Joyce Stoehr, unedited by request

Katharine "Kay" Mulligan, age 92, spouse of AYC LifeMember Edward "Pat" Mulligan passed away on August

22nd. They joined the AYC in 1957 and were very active at theclub in the 50's and 60's. Kay skippered their Lowell 19"Nimbus" in many of the AYC Races. In 1960 she won theCoast Guard Race from Halibut Point to Newburyport. Amemorial service will be held for her on September 12th at theUnitarian Church on Pleasant Street in Newburyport at 3 PMfollowed by a reception at the American Yacht Club.

October Race at Lowell’sSubmitted by Graham McKay

On October 18, Lowell’s Boat Shop will hold the ninth annualMighty Merrimack Rowing Race, open to oar- and paddle-pro-pelled craft. Details will be published later this month.

Spelling errors are one of the Sailorgram’s most-caughtedits. Sometimes we get it wrong, but we probably fix

100 misspellings to every one that gets by us. Andsometimes we’ll substitute a word we think is moreappropriate to the one that was written.

One recent complaint was for a change in spelling for acommon item anyone with a mooring should know. JeffStoehr wrote an article in July where we changed a word’sspelling. He pointed out we were wrong and his originalspelling was correct.

The word in question was Jeff’s pendant when referring toa pickup line from a mooring. Our editor, as salty acharacter as Jeff, corrected it to pennant.

Jeff knew his spelling was correct because that is what thelabel on the purchased item said it was. The editor, as well

as yours truly, knew the correct spelling was pennant. Ihad been taught by some very salty characters that apendant was something hung on a chain around your neckand a pennant was what dangled from a mooring chain.And yes, I also know a pennant was a flag or streamer too.

So, to end the minor dispute, I looked it up in ten places. Itturned out BOTH spellings are interchangeable. TheEnglish language is quite a snarled knot at times.

I found many diagrams and definitions to back up pennantand nearly as many with pendant. The correct pronuncia-tion is still pennant.

So, our apologies to Jeff for changing his correct spellingto our correct spelling. Consider this our errata update andretraction.

Errata


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Dee and I have been looking for a way to get a little morepropulsion out of the small diesel motor in our Bristol 29.9,Cinderella. One option is to change the propeller, and the CDIPerfect Pitch propeller seemed like it might do the trick. CDIclaims that the Perfect Pitch propeller will provide more speedat lower RPMs and better thrust in rough seas.

This summer, we finally plunked down $300 and bought a CDIpropeller to match our Yanmar SB12 motor. I installed the propthe old fashioned way—by leaning the boat up against the eastwall and waiting for low tide to do the propeller swap. For thosewho have never tried this, it is not a complex way to haul outyour boat to work under the water line. The bottom of the riveralong the east wall by the club house is free of mooring blocksor other large stones and the bottom is fairly firm. (Wadingboots are recommended.) The current does not run stronglythere, either.

To tie off at the east wall, you will need to come along side at orjust after high tide. The high-tide depth is only about six feet,and two hours after high tide, the depth will already fall to justover four feet. Once in positon, tie off your boat and position itso that it will lean inwards slightly when it hits bottom. Becareful that your rigging and life-line stanchions will notleaning onto the wall. A wide wale that runs along the wall thatcould cause problems with how the boat leans, depending uponyour boat’s deck height. To fend off from the wale, use extra-large fenders and vertically hung planks. If your boat is bow

heavy, a line from your masthead, taken as far back as possibleand tied off on the wall out by the courtyard, will keep the boatupright fore and aft.

Once the tide has dropped and the boat has settled into position,you will have several hours to work on the bottom before thetide comes back. Getting the boat off the wall is simply a matterof waiting for the tide to rise. You will probably want to use adinghy or tender to push the boat’s bow away from the wall.There is little room for the boat to turn behind the dinghy dock,and a small boat can assist with the steering.

Cinderella Gets a New Prop – The Old Fashioned WaySubmitted by Homer Shannon

(Continued on page 5)

These speeds were determined by driving the boat up anddown a fixed stretch of the river and averaging the GPSspeeds for both directions. No tests have been made inrough conditions yet, but in a Buzzard’s Bay chop towindward, the old propeller could barely hold three knotsat 2800RPM. It won’t be possible to make a directcomparison, but it will be interesting to see what the CDIpropeller can do in similar conditions.

Propeller SpeedEngine RPM Speed Old Prop Speed CDI Prop

2200 4.3 5.1

2500 5 5.7

2800 5.5 5.8

3000 5.8 6


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Notice of RaceTHE AMERICAN YACHT CLUB

INVITES YOU TO THE

Chet Young Memorial RaceSeptember 19, 2015

• Registration at 10:30 a.m. Skipper’s meeting at 11:00 a.m.• Race start is 1:00 p.m. on the water• Regatta Fee $20 PHRF, Bring current PHRF certificate*• For more information, please contact: Amy Sison, AYC Regatta Committee Chairman, [email protected] or 603-801-8081

*PHRF Certificate *If you have never gotten a PHRF certificatefor your boat or need to renew please go online to submit theform herehttps://secure.headwaytechnology.com/www.phrfne.org/page/certificates,

And bring a $45 check to AYC on race day for the certificate.

Chet Young Memorial Dinner6:00 pm at the American Yacht Club

Dinner catered by Oregano’s

Menu: • Pasta with meatballs • Chicken broccoli penne • Caesar salad • Brownie sundae

Cost : • $15 per adult • $10 per child

BYOB

RSVP by September 12th • Amy Sison at [email protected] or 978-465-9668 (please leave a message)

Dinghy RegattaSubmitted by Nancy and Doug Cornell

It was our first 90-plus degree day this summer, with matchinghumidity, but that didn't stop an enthusiastic group of AYC

members and their families from participating in the SecondAnnual Dinghy Regatta. On July 19, three sailing dinghies,several kayaks, and a rowboat set out for an afternoon on theFlats. This year we even had a “hospitality boat,” as Don andJan Sestini anchored Swamp Fox (definitely NOT a small boat)in the Flats, affording an opportunity for respite for the paddlersand rowers.

Two of the sailing dinghies initially faced a bit of a challengesailing against the incoming current, but as the wind picked upand the current dissipated as high tide approached, they wereable to make enough headway to get out to the Flats and enjoy alovely sail after all. One sailboat ventured around WoodbridgeIsland on an easy breeze.

After hauling our boats, we enjoyed an early dinner of pizza anddelicious potluck salads on the porch. It might be said that wehad a really cool time on a very hot day!

The propeller has only been installed fora few weeks and the full verdict is still out on the prop’s perfor-mance, but initial use and testing does indicate that the propelleris more efficient at lower RPMs and adds some additionalspeed.

So far, the $300 cost seems like a reasonable investment, anddoing the work the old-fashioned way certainly saved a lot ofyard and hauling fees.


Propeller

https://secure.headwaytechnology.com/www.phrfne.org/page/certificates

https://secure.headwaytechnology.com/www.phrfne.org/page/certificates

http://www.phrfne.org/page/566,

mailto:[email protected]


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It’s September, No Time to MuseSubmitted by Dan Edson

Yikes, it's September! The terns may have arrived to soil decks, cockpits, masts, spars, and spreaders, but the greenheads aregone, the midgies and mosquitoes appear relatively uninterested, and the days have turned cool, mostly sunny, and just

beautiful. Time to move all those boat tasks on this summer's list to fall, or maybe winter, or hell, maybe even spring 2016. Time toget out there and enjoy what's left of the season.

Probably not a bad time to muse over what went well this year, too, and what might need improving. I have a checklist.

Let's see, most pre-launch tasks were accomplished, particularly going over the through hulls, zincs, the depth sounder, and otherunderwater gear. CHECK. That new post-launch list I finally wrote up came in handy when I discovered a failed bilge pump that Icould swear was working when I tested it on the hard. CHECK. Some brightwork could use a few more coats of varnish, but that'snormal. NEXT YEAR. Oh, yeah, and actually printing out a list of safety gear this year–and where each item is stowed–was usefulwhen a harbormaster paid me a visit at dusk one evening to see if we had PFDs, sound and signaling devices, and a throw cushion onthe dinghy. CHECK.

The most demanding challenge now is figuring out how to stretch out the season. Late September? Early October? Right up to whenthe AYC Mooring Committee starts removing mooring balls? Who knows? September usually is a gift to New Englanders,especially those of us lucky enough to find some time to be on the water.

Fair winds and calm seas to all (perhaps not at the same time).

Jeannette and I recently sailed our 30-foot Journey down to Edgartown and back. We had eight great days. The only weather was afog of half-mile visibility (at best) stretching from the east end of Cape Cod Canal all the way to Gloucester. We did encounter

one of those very big ships in the Boston shipping lane, but we were watching and heard her warning horn - so no tense moments forus. We just fell off for a few minutes. Never saw her, but heard the chug-chug of the engines. A great trip that we will repeat nextyear!

Edgartown TripSubmitted by Mike Young


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Reilly is one fascinating, colorful young woman Joyce and Imet a year ago when we anchored our Tartan 30 Ayacucho

at Dix Island alongside the Muscle Ridge Channel betweenTenants Harbor and Owl’s Head. She cooks and serves someterrific Downeast fare while tied alongside your boat. She has aclassic wood fisherman’s skiff that she herself maintains inBristol condition. It has three quite large propane burners acrossthe transom that look like they were intended to lift hot airballoons when she fires them up. Last year we just happenedupon her and called her over to Ayacucho after overhearing heras she cooked and served another boat. We just had to see whatthis lively character was all about, and she did not disappoint;she is really entertaining. We decided then that Reilly would bea destination for this summer.

Just days after this encounter an article appeared in the PortlandHerald that praised her entrepreneurial spirit, character andgreat food. The article brought her the attention of the MaineBoard of Health, which shut her down after seeing that she didnot have a victualer’s license, didn’t have a supply of hot andcold running water and served in bare feet. To the MBOH shedidn’t meet the standards for nearest thing they could character-

ize her business—um, food trucks. Naturally this was followedby howls of protest in letters to the editor and phone calls.

Pressured by public outrage and not wanting to appear as abully the Board of Health worked feverishly to find some wayto allow her to get up and running again, and she was allowed toreopen for business. So she’s back.

Now her business model has changed somewhat in that sheneeds two days notice and she only serves up complete dinners,not a la carte. She learned it’s very difficult to know what toacquire and prepare ahead of time without knowing how manyto serve and what they are likely to order. So we made reserva-tions for us and two other Tartans we were travelling with. Noproblem except that the Cruising Club of America was toanchor there the same night, and we had no alternative days left.From what we remembered the anchorage at Dix Island couldhold maybe 10 or 12 boats. The CCA showed up with 43, allocean-going vessels of considerable length and heft. (Expletivedeleted)!

Because of the crowd we had to anchor out closer to the ridgechannel where the current is strong and the holding ground notso good. But the tide was calm enough (Continued on page 8)

ReillySubmitted by Jeff Stoehr, unedited by request


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while we were to have dinner and Reillyfound us, sporting a welcome sign with the names of the threeboats. We all settled into the cockpit of the largest boat andsipped wine while Reilly put on clams to steam as she banteredwith us in a really delightful, love-my-job sort of way. Asked ifshe had to serve many of the other boats she sniffed that theCCA wanted no part of her – too expensive. Huh? The 55-footNordhaven next to us I’m guessing went for something north of2 million.

The clams were the best I have ever had and she and herfisherman friend and father of her infant daughter dug them thatday. Reilly told us a year earlier that she lived on Andrew Islandwhile her boyfriend lived on Dix. Ookay. Lobsters were next asshe explained her cooking technique while getting us set upwith a bin for shells and other discards.

(Did you know the way to test a lobster for doneness is to lift itby one of its antennae and jerk it? If it snaps off it’s done; if not,back in the pot.) Next came melted butter, a serving bowl ofhomemade coleslaw, homemade biscuits and just-picked (andthe best) corn on the cob. The lobsters were superb and shemade sure all the water was drained out before she handed themover. Dessert was her own blueberry pie. Then she cleared awayall of the debris including our empty wine bottles. She made agood wad, but it was worth every penny.

You can reach Reilly at 207-691-9227 and if you GoogleMainstay Provisions in Dix Harbor you’ll see a pretty goodrundown of what she is about.

That night, however, was not so delightful. Around 3 AM it gotwindy and we got pretty close to the Nordhaven. So we got upand backed the boat away, only to learn that the anchor wasdragging along with almost no resistance. We tried a couple ofother spots before we found one where we held well. Ours was,

for sure, not the only one to drag that night. Hopefully the CCAwill scratch Dix off as a destination from now on.

The following morning the wind was brisk and Reilly, whilemaking rounds to sell baked goods for breakfast, noticed ournew location and came over to see if everything was okay. Shethen handed us four homemade scones and said they were freefor us. If you go to Dix, make sure you do so with Reilly inmind.

One of the Tartans split off to spend the next couple weekscruising further down east while we and the other, with all sailsreefed, sailed rail-down toward Old Man Ledge and thenmotored dead into the wind to Boothbay. We passed Hank andKathy Hamel’s Periwinkle going the opposite way and theyraised us on the radio. Don Sestini on Swampfox and BillNeumyer on Sea Mist overheard the conversation and contactedus from somewhere in Muscongus Bay. In Boothbay we raninto Steve Ercha and Beverly as well as Neil and NancyBeasley, whom we joined for cocktails that evening. Then weheaded home in a mix of sunshine and sometimes-good wind.All in all, a great trip.


Reilly

Help Us Publish the SailorgramOne of our layout staff, Lory Douglas, just headed south for thewinter aboard Sargo. She is unable to assist us again until June.If you have any skills with page layout, or are willing to learn,we certainly can use your help.

We use a PC program called PagePlus and can provide you thesoftware as well as assistance in the learning curve.

For more information [email protected].



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The public is invited to attend a very special VolunteerInformation Session on Friday, September 18 from 9:00

a.m.– 2:30 p.m. at the headquarters of Parker River NationalWildlife Refuge (NWR), 6 Plum Island Turnpike, in New-buryport. An overview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicewill be presented, along with a “Behind the Scenes RefugeTour.” Attendees can stay for all or some of the session with

no obligation to volunteer. Those staying for the entire dayshould bring a bag lunch and weather–appropriate clothing.

Volunteers are needed to staff the visitor information desk,serve as plover wardens on the beach, help with invasivevegetation control, assist with environmental education andinterpretive programs, and/or perform maintenance tasks on

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Invites Publicto a Volunteer Orientation/Information Session

submitted by Jim Grenier

Photo from creativecommons.com © Regular Daddy


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Please send all digital* Sailorgram submissions [email protected]

Send all physical** Sailorgram submissions to:Homer Shannon, 15 Autumn St., Windham, NH 03087

Due date is the first of each month. Sailorgram will only be publishedwhen there is enough material to warrant it.

* Copy submissions must be in .txt, .rtf, or .doc format; image formatsmust be .jpg, .gif, or .tif

** All written matter must be typewritten; images can be photos,drawings, or other flat artwork. Artwork can only be returned if providedwith a self-addressed and stamped envelope.

American Yacht ClubP.O. Box 1360

Newburyport MA 01950Organized 1885, Incorporated 1890

Commodore Barry Gluck 603-382-8302

Vice Commodore Joe Puleo Jr. 603-876-4012

Rear Commodore Dan Pratt 978-388-3401

Secretary Joyce Stoehr 978-462-9083

Treasurer Len Johnson 978-388-0501

Collector Homer Shannon 603-880-4328

Measurer William Caron 603-437-3902

Membership Committee Tom Lochhaas 978-462-6311

Mooring Committee Don Sestini 978-682-1624

House Committee Dave Hewey 978-373-6038

Yard Committee Paul Morin 978-462-6533

Landscape Committee Nancy & Doug Cornell 978-474-4323

Regatta Committee Dan Pratt 978-388-3041

Entertainment /Activities Lon Sherman 978 388-3434

Sailorgram Jim Grenier 978-388-4445

Sailing School Jackie Morin 978-462-6533

Steward/Club House 978-465-9053

Online links to the American Yacht Club’s Constitution, Bylaws, House Rules, and Member Directory are available online. Toaccess these documents, go to http://americanyachtclub.org/private, enter the name AYCmember and the password ayc2015XXXX(where "XXXX" = this year's gate code, found on the back of your membership card).

AYC SketchbookThe Back Path is a detail from the 5" X 7" watercolor by Rob Brun of the footpath just outside the Club gate looking east.




http://americanyachtclub.org/private

Documents

The American Yacht Club Newsletter Issue 9September 2015 The American Yacht Club Newsletter Issue 9 1 FROM THE MASTHEAD Barry Gluck, Commodore C heer up, folks! Yes, summer has slipped