June 1997 - Volume 27 Number 6
Last updated: June 22, 1997 @ 13:48 CDT
West Side of North Island
Details in Cruising Report
June 17, 1997 - 7:30 p.m.
COMMODORE'S REPORT - Dave Taylor
VICE COMMODORE'S REPORT - Ray Pryor
PARTY - PARTY
PROGRAMS - Margie & Jim Hutchison
CRUISING REPORT - Don & Martha O'Grady
26 FLEET NEWS - Steve Hanes
RACING - Al Barboza
17/21/22/23/24 FLEET REPORT - Charlotte Pryor
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND '97 MEMORIES - Kathy Kremer
EDITORS' NOTES - Marshall & Carol McKenzie
CONGRATULATIONS!
BASIC SAILING CLASS REVIEW - Dick & Beth Hardin
1997 OFFICERS and BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1997 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DOOR PRIZE!
THE SALE MAKER (Classified Ads)
COMMODORE'S REPORT
We had another successful Memorial Day Cruise. Thanks to Don and Martha O'Grady for putting it together for us. They found a different cove because of the high water level, which worked out just fine. The weather never did live up to the weather services prediction of severity. Lots of fun, some sunshine, though the water is still a little cold. A lot of children, and then we noticed there were several girls and two boys......
Never underestimate Mike Kmita's folklore. Sunday evening we could see some high storm clouds building to the south of us and coming our way. He said that if we build a big fire, the hot updraft would keep the thunderstorms at bay. So we did, and it did. We watched bad weather go on both sides of us, to be confirmed by the weather service. Gaines-ville and Sherman got some of it, but not North Island. Got to watch some spectacular lighting up in the clouds overhead.
Brad Chilcote
gets part of the credit for the lack of rain - he took the trouble to put up his huge tarps, one on shore and one on his boat.Visitors from the West, Dave and Taryn Spitler from Burkburnett, joined us. They have sailed their M25 in lakes and other waters from the West Coast across most of the United States.
The Summer Night Series has started. The first race was Lake Lavon's usual variety. Two hours of racing, in winds from 15 at the start to 2-3 at the finish, but with an hour or so of dead calm in the middle. I remember reading about the horse latitudes. Oh well, night races are supposed to be laid back, so we did.
Please look at the calendar because there are a lot of things going on during the Summer months - Races, cruising, boat show, ice cream social, meetings, programs. We are an active bunch.
VICE COMMODORE'S REPORT
Membership Update
Just a word to the new members: The VMYC has lots of officers for several reasons. One reason is that dividing up the work makes the job easy. Another reason is to encourage everyone (new members especially) to participate. As a club officer, you interact with a bunch of people and get a chance to establish new friendships that can (and have) last a lifetime. Another reason for so many officers is to ensure a source for new ideas that is tempered with experience. If you are interested in a fun job, (hey, there is some effort involved) let anyone on the current board know you are interested, and before you know it you’ll be nominated, elected, and through your term of office.
Fall Sailing Class & Summer Boat Show Alert
PARTY - PARTY - PARTY - PARTY
Several of us sailing club plotters and planners (mostly plotters) are planning a welcome home party for
Doug and Sandi Cook
to celebrate their not having to go overseas for 10 long years.
The festivities will begin at 6:30 PM on Saturday, June 21 at John and Kay Vaughan's house
(de-moted 25 fleet captains from last year)
731 Vinecrest Lane,
Richardson, TX
VMYC members and guests are invited.
Bring yourselves, your yard chairs, your camel ( that's a joke) and BYOB....
We'll furnish good times, music, finger foods, and all join in the welcome home fun
( or ritual, or roast , or whatever).
Matter of fact, Doug and Sandi may want to change their plans and book the next flight
out of here after this...before this ... during this ... even thinking about this.
RSVP to John and Kay, (972-235-2934 or 73737.3361@ Compuserve. com)
so we can get an idea how many water balloons to fill...
another Joke ... maybe? . .and we'll see you on June 21 ...
definitely! Y'all come!
John, Kay, Mike, Shirley, David, Kathy, Sam, Donna, Larry, Lora, and the rest of the crew.
PROGRAMS
June 17, 1997:
"REALISTIC MAN-OVERBOARD TECHNIQUES"
as demonstrated by the Annapolis Book of Seamanship,
and a lively discussion on how these techniques will apply to VMYC boats.
July 15, 1997:
"SAILING EXPERIENCES"
by Jim Williams from Boat/US
CRUISING REPORT
4th of July Cruise - July 4-6
Oh, the sailor's life for me! Yes, it's plain to see!
The Memorial Day Cruise was a success. The water was too cold for some of our games, but everyone had a great time anyway. The kids swam, even though most of us old-timers sissied out. If you did not come, you missed a great time and one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in years. On Saturday evening our activity was admiring the work of the First Artist. We sang folk songs to the accom-paniment of a guitar after it got dark. There are some beautiful voices in our group, as well as a few frogs (that would be me). We enjoyed visiting our friends both new and old. These cruises give us the chance to get caught up on who has a new grandbaby, or whatever else is newsy.
Don't miss the July 4th Cruise. If the board approves, we will have a poker run with a "million-dollar" prize. Um, well, maybe that would go over budget justa tad. If you have a favorite game or activity, call us and we will try to accommodate. Plan for another potluck Saturday the 5th. Please bring tables. Let's also plan on having a recipe swap.
We will begin to make plans for the Fall Ladies' Cruise soon. If you keep a boat at one of the lakes, call me. We will need at least two, maybe three boats for everyone to sleep on. Grapevine and Lewisville are the closest to me, but if we can get it together, we might go to a different lake.
Some of my ancestors were sailors and ship builders. I thought you might enjoy this poem about how my great-grandfather ended up in Texas.
A Sailor's Destiny
A husky lad was young Sam B.
Reared on the coast of Maine.
At tender age he went to sea,
Bound for a port in Spain.
"Ho! for a ship!" he cried aloud,
"A Sailor's life for me.
Like my brother Jim and my forebears proud
I'll follow the trade of the sea."
His brother Jim was the captain bold
Of the good John Bunyon ship,
And cask tobacco filled the hold
On Sam's adventurous trip.
A month and a day - not a minute more,
They hailed Sandia, Spain,
Then started back with a load of ore,
Sailing for home again.
But old King Boreas took a fling
And bore them down in a storm,
'Till the good ship tossed a crippled thing
And young Sam cried in alarm.
"Oh let me set my feet once more
On the good old soil of Main,
I'll travel a thousand miles from shore
And ne're will sail again."
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,
He plants his footsteps on the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
And by His grace came safe and sound,
The lad from the hungry sea,
And he kept his vow and soon was bound
For the west and his destiny.
He turned his back on the raging tide.
Yes! He turned his back upon the sea,
He headed west for the prairies wide
Where the open range was free.
"I'll build me a home 'neath the western sky,
Where the winds may howl in glee,
With never a wave to toss me high,
Nor an ocean grave for me."
Deep in the heart of the Lone Star State,
He found his heart's desire.
And he found the girl who would be his mate,
And queen of his new Empire.
He built his ranch in a canyon wide,
His herds grazed in every part,
The laughter and shouts of his children vied
With the song within his heart.
Adversity came, as it always will,
And took what he held most dear.
Famine and drought held sway until
It seemed that the end was near.
But he never faltered, he never paused
For a moment to mourn his lot,
And the more travail old hard luck caused,
The more and harder Sam fought.
He shouldered his burdens, as brave men do,
And forged right ahead again.
He forced Dame Fortune to smile anew,
For he was a man among men.
'Twas sixty years ago when he
Founded the B.T. spread,
And now many a firm is proud to see
Old Sam's name at it's head.
For Old Sam still is carrying on,
And his children do the same.
And his children's children, when he's gone,
All proud of the grand old name.
Thus it came to pass that this sailor strange,
Who could not go to sea,
Became a Captain of the Range,
For this was his destiny.
26 FLEET NEWS
I haven't a lot to report of the fleet this month after a rather hectic few weeks. First Brian's graduation and then Linda's surgery. We were pleased to have my sister and niece visit for a few days and join us for Brian's big day. We're quite proud of his honors accomplishments and are preparing for the empty nest as he departs for college next year at Arizona State.
As many of you know, Linda's surgery went quite well, and she is recovering nicely at home. We look forward to when we will be able to join y'all on our remaining cruise and races later in the season.
I do want to encourage all members of our fleet to attend the June meeting. With the number of us that are relatively new sailors in the fleet, this month's "Man Overboard" program should be of special benefit. Fortunately, very few of us have had any serious man overboard incidents... but you may need the knowledge and ability when you least expect it. A concern I have heard expressed is that of spouses who would be unsure of how to return to, and retrieve their mate single-handed if they were to fall overboard. Please take advantage of this opportunity to learn from our members who have first-hand experiences.
I was pleased to see the number of boats from our fleet enter the Summer Night Race Series. We have 8 boats entered as of the first race, and 7 of the first 8 boats to finish Race 1 were in our fleet! Mike Jones again set the pace for the rest of us to challenge. Mike has invited me to crew for him during Dallas Race Week and I am sure looking forward to the opportunity to participate on a 'fast' boat! Miss Kitty seems to have slowed of late... or could it be 'operator error'? Anyway, if I pay attention, I should be able to pick up some new tips from Mike.
As I mentioned last month, I've made a few improvements to our website, and thought you might enjoy the following eMail message I received from a visitor to our site. I share this with you all since much of the content of our site comes from the various stories and experiences that the members of our club contribute.
To:vmyc@compuserve.com
Subject: Enjoyment of your website
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 19:46:51
Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed your website the other night. My wife and I had just come home from finding a MacGregor 26 in nice shape and for sale, and I decided to cruise the net and see what others had to say about the boat. I found your website and thoroughly enjoyed the articles. In fact, I was reading parts of them aloud to my wife and we were both chuckling over some of the lines. It seems that you have a very nice club down there (we are in southern Missouri), and some very nice people involved with sailing with your club. It was a joy to see family events covered by your newsletters and we would be very interested in visiting some time. Please let your other club members know that their website is appreciated, well written, and something of which you all must be proud.
Thanks again for the chuckles and enjoyment,
David & Kathy Harris
To my friends in V/MYC:
Thank you for the plant, cards,
phone calls, thoughts and prayers
during my recent surgery.
Linda Hanes
RACING
Thanks to Brad Chilcote for relaying the information he received from Scott Self (972) 771-1161 x248, who is in charge of Dallas Race week:
RACE WEEK is June 22-27, 1997, out of Chandler's Landing at Lake Ray Hubbard. This is a charity regatta for United Way.
There is a race EVERY NIGHT (including Sunday); start time 7:00 PM each evening. Out of the six races, there is one throw-out allowed.
Registration will be on Sunday (late registration accepted Monday for those who don't have time before the race starts Sunday), COST $50.00. Fee includes at least three free dinners during the week for skipper & crew (meals donated from restaurants such as Chili's), plus several giveaways, kegs of beer, etc.
As of the current time, there is no fee for launching, but there may be a fee for keeping your boat in a slip (if so, it will be nominal). Scott is going to re-check this now that Chandler's has a new management company and will let me know.
The Night Races are off with a bang. The first race was less than a drifter, and yours truly was dead last. I hope for better times ahead.
Listed are the remainder of the Committee Boat assignments for the Night Series:
June 28 - Race 2 - Brad Chilcote
July 12 - Race 3 - Steve Hanes
July 26 - Race 4 - Jim Hutchison
August 9 - Race 5 - George Gabert
August 16 - Race 6 - Marshall McKenzie
At the Skippers Meeting , I forgot to mention that there will be 1 throw-out for the Night Series.
I hope to see a few of us at Lake Ray Hubbard for Dallas Race Week!
17/21/22/23/24 FLEET REPORT
Happy June. and Happy "King Kamehameha I Day" June 11! I just love my Kauai calendar; it has so many more holidays listed that we can celebrate! The only thing wrong is that I need to research them in order to find out what they mean. This is a state holiday that honors Kamehameha the Great with festivities on all islands including parades, lei-draping ceremony, arts and crafts demonstrations and pageants. I realize this has nothing to do with sailing, but I think it is a fun and interesting thing to know!
Speaking of that beautiful island - There are a couple of sailing items coming up in Hawaii in July. One is the Pan Am Clipper Cup Series. In this, boats navigate a series of triangles off Waikiki, along with one nonstop race from Ala Wai Harbor to Molokai, and an around-the-state nonstop race. The other is the Transpacific Race from San Pedro, CA to Honolulu that sails during odd-number years. This 2216- mile race takes most boats ten to fourteen days to complete and participants finish at the Ala Wai Yacht basin. This year the Womens' Sailing Team has entered a Santa Cruz 50.
Please wish Happy Birthday to Marilynne Robertson 6/23. Marilynne and Ron relocated to Shawnee, OK from Flower Mound last year and we are really glad that they have chosen to renew their membership. We don't get to see them much, but Ron did make it to the Bachelor's Cruise.
This month's activities are Dallas Race Week, June 22-27 and Race 2 of the Summer Night Series, June 28. Please keep in mind that the Summer Boat Show is coming up July 14 - 20, and we will be needing people to man (or woman) the club's booth at the Rigg Shop's exhibit. So check your calendar and give Ray a call as to when you are available to help out.
Did anyone get to visit The Nina while it was on display in Las Colinas? Ray and I did. The Nina is one of three full-size reproductions of Columbus' famous vessels. It is currently on tour with the Texas Discovery Tour, but all three vessels are permanently housed at the World of Discovery in Corpus Christi. One thing I would like to add is that the captain/instructor of one of the Womenship courses I had taken was the captain of the Nina and she sailed her through the Panama Canal and up to NY with a crew of 10 Portuguese men!
Reminder: FULL MOON CRUISE!!
I would like to remind you of Grapevine Sailing Club's "Full Moon Cruise"on June 20th that I mentioned in last month's newsletter, which VMYC members are invited to participate in. If you would like to end your week in this great way, contact one of the following members who slip their boats on Lake Grapevine, and arrange to hitch a ride:
Ray & Charlotte Pryor (817) 481-6896;
Mike Broyles (972) 484-4442;
Charles Morse (972) 380-1984;
Dennis & Michelle Starkey (972) 416-5944.
Ray and I have the wine chilling! Or maybe we will do almond flavored champagne instead! Are you being tempted? Call us!
Most of you probably already know this, but there may be a few out there that don't know that Boat/U.S. has a Trailering Club. Included benefits are Ramp Fee Rebates, a Toll-Free Ramp Locator Line, "Boat Saver" insurance for boats 26' and under (includes 24-hour Emergency Dispatch Assistance), and Trailer Assist & Tow. Most roadside assistance programs (like AAA) will not take care of a boat trailer that is disabled. Boat/U.S.has a roadside assistance program that will dispatch and tow the boat trailer and/or tow vehicle when a breakdown occurs while trailering a boat. This service can be added to your current Boat/U.S. membership for $10.
Texas Boat Towing Laws:
Trailer Equipment Requirements:
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND '97 MEMORIES
Hi, all. Thought you might enjoy a report on the weekend at Lake Texoma.
As many of you know, we spend most of the summer holidays at the lake with the Venture/MacGregor Yacht Club and have had many adventures on these trips. We take our boats and most of our worldly goods, put the boats into the water and sail or motor over to the North Islands, about 2 miles from the ramp. There are no facilities, no electricity, no running water (matter of fact, nothing much but a few trees, some sand and assorted insect life) but there is the big lake. There we park the boats on the beach, pull out lawn chairs, pop the top on a cool drink and visit the whole weekend. Usually the boats don't move from their spots, as this is a cruise, not a race (very different modalities).
There is usually a potluck supper and a campfire on Saturday night but not a lot of planned activity. The kids are happy as clams making sand castles, playing in the water and running up and down the beach. We usually have a few dogs who get into fights for something interesting. Cruisers go up and down the beach at a more sedate pace and visit on one another's boats to see improvements and modifications for comfort which have been newly installed.
This cruise proceeded according to precedent. On Sunday night there were some threatening storms that had everyone concerned. NOAA was warning about severe thunderstorms and tornados in the area. We had a tornado watch party on the beach until about 10:30 PM, but the storms went to either side of us, thankfully. We had only a small misting of rain, whereas Gainesville (about 20 miles west of us) had almost four inches and several tornados. One of our fellow cruisers, who shall remain nameless, encouraged us all to get our stories straight before leaving on Monday so that we could impress absent club members with our fortitude in weathering the awful storms.
The weather Monday was warm and humid, but we had a nice wind to sail down to Cedar Mills for lunch after packing up all the gear. Leaving Cedar Mills, we sailed back to Loe's at a spanking pace. NOAA was warning about more severe weather which should hit the area by 4:00 PM. We were loaded up on the trailer and ready to go by about 3:45, but (need we say it?) NOAA was wrong again and there wasn't any storm that afternoon.
The weary campers headed back to Flower Mound, dragging their boat behind. Sometime between Gainesville and Valley View on I-35, Ed began to notice that the van was running hotter than usual and there was a lot of vibration. Then several people passed us on the freeway, trying to commmunicate something through their windows. We finally got the message: we had had a blowout on the trailer. Well, no wonder the van was working so hard! We got off at the next exit and pulled into the parking lot at Dairy Queen, the center of cultural life in Valley View, Texas.
We inspected the trailer tires to find that the back right tire was not only flat, it was shredded and melted! After only two hours of hand-blistering, back breaking labor, Ed and I managed to get the tire changed. Thank heavens for a long-handled jack Ed had purchased for the van and several thick boards we found to help us. We collected the girls from inside where it was marginally cooler and prepared to depart.
Unfortunately, the van had other ideas. The motor tried to start, but it wouldn't catch. Once or twice it ran very roughly for a few seconds, then quit. Ed tried for about 15 minutes, then we all went back inside for a snack thinking it was some heat-related thing, like vapor lock, which might straighten out if we waited a bit.
No such luck. We ended up calling road-side assistance, which had to send out a special tow truck. We also had to call someone to pick up the girls because the tow truck had room in the cab for only two extra persons. The van went on the flat bed, while the boat was pulled behind. Of course, this was Memorial Day evening, so there was a lengthy wait and who knows how much the charge was raised above normal. Our tow truck driver was a pleasant, skilled fellow who very kindly took us to Flower Mound and backed the boat up the driveway without knocking down any trees before taking the van to Denton for repairs.
There wasn't anything much wrong with the van, so it cost only $750.00 and four days to fix. Apparently it was a clogged fuel injector, or something of that nature.
The sailor's dictionary defines a successful cruise as, "one in which you return with all the crew who started out, less than $100 damage to the boat, and no heavy equipment required." Therefore, I regretfully report that this could not be considered a successful cruise. We're hoping for better luck on the Labor Day Cruise!
EDITORS' NOTES
As many of you know (and as I mentioned in the last Venturing), our son Scott was part of the 16-man racing crew aboard Never Say Never, a 105' yacht which left on May 17 for the Atlantic Challenge Cup from New York to England. A fleet of 15 superyachts began with a parade through New York Harbor on May 17 and then began their 3000-mile sailing race, starting off Sandy Hook, NJ, and finishing in Falmouth, England. The course followed the famous Ocean Race for the Kaiser's Cup in 1905 in which the 184' schooner Atlantic set a racing record that stands to this day. The Atlantic Challenge Cup yachts ranged in age from one to nearly 100 years old and in size from 85 feet to 192 feet.
We almost "watched" the race from home by rushing home from work every day and checking the internet! Each day the courses sailed by each of the boats was shown on a map as well as a brief write-up reporting on the "News from the Fleet." We were so excited to see how well "Never Say Never" was doing! Even though it had been reported that they had a cracked mast, they were still in 2nd place! But then finally the cracks were getting really big, and they had to retire from the race on the 13th day. They then motored on to Falmouth, as well as four other boats who also had to retire for various reasons. Scott called after they got to England, about 17 days after the start of the race. He had a really great time; was disappointed they didn't get to finish but it was just a really good experience to be there. He is staying with the boat in England for 2-3 weeks to help get things fixed, and then he plans to stay in England for awhile to look into going to school for his Yachtmasters license.
Congratulations to Alison Robertson, who just graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Texas Richardson campus! Former members Bruce and Cynthia Nutt's son Dennis graduated on May 31 from West Point! Also former members Randy and Amy Gilbert's son Brad just graduated from high school in Grand Prairie, and John and Janet Molstad's son Neil, who graduated from Texas A&M, has a scholarship to graduate school at Iowa State. Steve and Linda Hanes' son Brian just graduated from Plano East Senior High, and our son Chad McKenzie, who graduated from of the University of Texas at Austin, has a scholarship to graduate school at the University of Arkansas. Congratulations to all of the above! I apologize for anyone who I may have missed. Please let me know of anything going on in your lives that I might report. Remember, this is YOUR newsletter, and I want to let everybody know of the things we are all proud of!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
To the proud new Grandparents,
Al and Juanelle Barboza,
new mom, Tina Garvin,
and new sister, Alyssa,
on the arrival of our Newest Skipper
Jeremiah Chance Garvin
Arrived at 12:11 p.m.
Friday, May 23, 1997.
Jeremiah weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19 inches long.
Baby and family are doing great!
BASIC SAILING CLASS REVIEW
Our Spring Basic Sailing Class was most successful, due to the efforts of many members. The 26 students all attended the April 4th Friday night introduction to sailing, and Sunday April 6 sailed boats at Lake Lavon. Your coordinators (who forgot to reset their clocks for daylight savings time!) found everyone ready to cancel due to a cold north wind Sunday morning. However, the weather turned nice by launch time, and all had a good day on the water. The cancellation and re-scheduling of the 2nd on-the-water class (due to a 4/12 frigid front) hurt attendance on May 4, which proved to be an outstanding day for new sailors.
1997 marks our first year to offer our "on-the-water" class also at Joe Pool Lake, with Al Grikis as skipper for two students from Arlington, TX. Three student couples now have MacGregor 25's. From a chain of chance situations, Joe and Linda Barber, (817) 637-2252, were students on Bruce and Kathy Peele's M26 and ended up buying the Peele's M25. Keith and Jere Bullard, (972) 735-7826, .were learning to sail their own M25 at the day #2 on-the-water class. Gordon and Nancy Morrel, (817) 872-3670 from Bowie, TX, have an M25 and are looking for sailing opportunities. Here are three potential members for our club. We hope some members will reach out to them.
We extend special thanks to these skippers and their crew who brought their boats to two "on-the-water" classes: Al Barboza, Larry Featherston, George Gabert, Al Grikis, Jim Hutchison, Les Liggett, Marshall McKenzie, and Dave Taylor. Only through their extra interest were we able to accommodate 26 students. The following skippers and their crew are extended our thanks for bringing their boats to Lake Lavon to complete our resources in making the class possible: Bobby Allen, Brad Chilcote, Steve Hanes, J.B. Jordan, Mike Kmita, Jeff Tucker, and Lee White. Lee Howard wanted to help but his keel broke. Carl Furbush, Mike Kmita, and Ray Pryor receive our thanks for helping as reserve skippers on other boats.
Larry Featherston, Dick Hardin, and John Vaughan
, assisted by Beth Hardin and Kay Vaughan, provided an interesting and fast moving introduction to sailing, which got the class off to a good start.If you need crew for a coming race series, we will be pleased to give you students' names and phone numbers to follow up. Your participation in this activity has brought sailing to about 500 students and provides a major part of the club's financing.
DOOR PRIZE!!!
$10.00
How would you like to have an extra
$10.00 or MORE???!!!
At each membership meeting,
all members' names will be placed in a hat,
and one will be selected to win the prize.
But, You must be present to win!!!
If the member drawn is not present, $10.00 will be added to
the pot and left to accumulate meeting after meeting
until we have a winner!!!
Dale and Lee Howard
were the Lucky Couple drawn at the May meeting
and WERE present to collect their $10.00 prize!
Classified Ads are FREE to members. To place an ad, call the Venturing Editors. (972) 271-5073
FOR SALE:
1976 Venture 222FOR SALE:
1991 Tohatsu 5hpADS WANTED:
Do you have sailing related products for sale or trade? Do you have a sail to sell? Do you need crew? Do you want to crew? Are you a member? If so, you can advertise right here for free!
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© Copyright 1997 Steven J. Hanes, All Rights Reserved