REMEMBER: There Will Be
No August Membership Meeting
Next membership meeting: September 16, 1997 - 7:30
p.m.
First Christian Church - 1835 Walnut - Carrollton, TX
See
Programs
I'm stuffed! Pigged out at the Ice Cream Social last night. Hot dogs and ice cream, beans, salads, and deviled eggs. The weather was perfect for sitting on the veranda. We had a chance to look at lots of photographs. David and Cathy Young brought pictures from their cruise to Antigua and St. Martin. Ron and Jeanne Briggs brought pictures of their trip to Granada. John and Larry brought guitars. Larry also brought shirts and hats in new colors. Hardins and Liggetts brought grandchildren. Thanks to Doug Henry for making arrangements for us to use Seis Lagos again this year. Thanks to Lora and Larry Featherston for putting it all together and cooking.
Vice Commodore Ray Pryor reports the Boat Show looked successful, with 40 people signing the register. Next, we find out who is interested in sailing lessons. We appreciate all the members who spent time at the show talking to prospects.
So, what has music, running aground, water fights? Summer night racing, of course. Where there is more party among racers than on the committee boat. Who says we are not serious? We would be racing by old rules, if we used rules. Speaking of rules, I think our excuse of not having a copy of the new racing rules is wearing thin. We're going to have to join the rest of the yachting world and use the new rules in the Fall series.
But before that, there is the final big cruise of the year, the Labor Day Cruise. The weather should be good....good and hot. The water will be right for swimming and cooling off. Get ready, and invite friends!
Our membership has jumped to 71. I would like to welcome Manny and Carole Forkowitz of Waxahachie to the 25 fleet. Manny and Carole came to the July meeting and shared their adventures they have had with their recently purchased Mac 25. Chuck and Sandra Beezley of DeSoto, Pat and Erika Milligan of Irving, and Bill and Gaye Benson of Richardson are proud new 26X owners. The Rigg Shop has enrolled them in our club so we can help them get off to a pleasant start.
Hey new members, just give any club member a call (especially your fleet captain or the nearest club member) if you have any questions or want a companion to go sailing. Most club members are happy to help. We all remember our first year of sailing and learning the ropes. All of our boats are similar enough that we all are pretty much at home on any of them. (Although I have NOT been skiing behind my 24.)
The Summer Boat Show has come and gone in a blaze of heat. I would like to thank the following club members for helping man the club booth: Mike Kmita, Ken Upton, Marshall McKenzie, the Hutchisons, Debbie Miller, the Howards, and Al Barboza. The Rigg Shop has already received several checks, even though they weren't sure of the class dates!
Cathy Young is coordinating the sailing class. (Volunteer) Please call her directly to volunteer your boat and / or skipper services. (Do it now.) The classroom session is Friday, September 12, with the on-the-water classes on Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 21. (Call Cathy.) The Sunday date follows the first races of the Fall Series. (Help out your club: Please!)
It's so much fun and so interesting meeting people who have just been bitten by the sailing bug. If you have been meaning to hose off the boat and get it back in water before the gales of November, the class provides a ready-made opportunity and target date.
If you would like to help but don't feel comfortable as the expert sailor, you can still volunteer your boat and Cathy can pair you up with a seasoned skipper who keeps his boat in a slip.
The last club meeting had guest speaker Jim Williams (Boat/US) relate his sailing philosophy and observations gained over forty years of sailing the world. A few of his nuggets on cruising that stuck with me: 90% of people who cruise over 5 years prefer a boat under 30 feet long - Jim prefers a full keel for easy, steady tracking out in the open ocean - Throw away the schedule, leave when you and the weather agree - When moving from your house to your boat, do not store your stuff; get rid of it - Living aboard presents some problems that you you can't get away from; i.e: If you are working on the diesel engine which is located in your living room, you end up storing stuff in the kitchen; Then if you want something to eat you have to move the stuff to the parlor; Then if you want to eat at the table because its raining you have to move the stuff back to the kitchen; Then when you need to wash the dishes you have to move the stuff again; I guess its like trying to use your garage as a wood shop and still park your car in it every night.
Don't miss the Labor Day Cruise
Aug.
30 - Sept. 1
As I sit at the keyboard during this unseasonably cool August afternoon, I'm reminded of the "coolest" 4th of July Cruise ever. and the almost "chilly" Memorial Day outing. 1997 has been a great cruising season. So why should Labor Day be any different?
In addition to enjoying the cool temperatures.....we've sat around warm campfires and listened to wonderful music. We've had fun playing games and laughing while watching other people play games. We've enjoyed sitting on the beach, lounging in the water, and doing nothing at all. You missed it? Well, don't miss this one. We're going to do it all over again! All we need is you (and a few sticks of wood for the campfire).As for the main event, we'll bring back a favorite of the ladies on Saturday evening - The Skippers' Cook-Off. Skippers, if you've never participated in this event, all you have to do is prepare enough of your "special" dish to feed the "judges" and then stand by to be boarded.
So why should Labor Day be any different? Because the best cruise of the season is yet to come. Labor Day is traditionally the best attended cruise and you won't want to miss it. So leave your excuses at home (yes, even the new grand babies), and join your friends for another great weekend.
Ladies' Cruise:
There has been a
lot of interest in having a Ladies' Cruise in the Fall, but we still need a
couple of boats to sleep on! Please call if you can help.
The Summer Night Series is not without things that happen. Dave Taylor, in the heat of battle, broke his rudder and had to retire. Sorry Dave. Let us know what it takes to repair the rudder and I will pass the info on to the other swing keel M26's because I think that this will be a problem with their boats also. Dave, how about an over-the-stern rudder like the M25's have? That is a good design.
Just a reminder….The East Fork Ramp is closed until Aug. 18th due to resurfacing of the ramp area. We can use Avalon Park ramp or any other place you want to go.
Our last Summer Night Race will be Aug. 16th with Marshall McKenzie doing Committee Boat. Juanelle and I will not be there because we are going out of town that weekend.
The Fall Series will start Sept. 20th. Committee Boat assignments will be made after the Skippers' meeting at 9 am. There are 8 races with 1 throw-out.
REMEMBER
We will be sailing the
Fall Series under the
New 1997-2000 Racing Rules.
1997 Spring Race Series Final Results
1997 Summer Night Race Results after Race 5
Well, the fleet does not have any birthdays, and there are no Hawaiian holidays, so I don't know what we are going to talk about this month! I'm really going to have to dig deep this time! Hope you are all enjoying your summer! Reminder: Only 5 month's until Christmas!! Get that shopping done!
How about we start off by testing your captain skills with some Trivia questions! (answers at the end)
1. What is the more popular name for the Ratline Hitch?
2. If you are in
VHF radio contact with the Coast Guard and they direct you to switch to a
channel followed by the word "alpha". What does the "alpha"
designation mean?
3. An aircraft circles your vessel three times while
gunning its engine, and then heads off in a northwest direction. What is the
pilot signaling?
4.What name is the Weaver's Knot known as?
5.On a
nautical chart, you see an indication of the quality of the bottom, marked as "fly"
What bottom quality characteristic can you expect?
6. A single line of position, when combined with a dead reckoning position,
results in a?
7. You are proceeding up the Mississippi River and notice a nun buoy off
station and adrift. Your alert to other boaters by VHF radio should begin with
what word?
8. What are the light characteristics of a nav aid when it is shown on the
charts as "ISO"?
9. How many feet of chain has a vessel laid, when it has paid out two "shot"?
10. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1961, prohibited zones are generally
areas within how many miles of shore?
So how did you do?
I do wish to thank you all for volunteering your time to work the club's booth at the Summer Boat Show. Ray and I were there on Wednesday night and it was pretty quiet. I did have time to stop by the Coconut Connection booth and buy both of us a Jimmy Buffet T-shirt. The boat show would not be complete without us getting a T-shirt!
Keep in mind that there is no membership meeting this month. The Summer Night Series continues with Races 5 and 6 on the 9th and 16th. The Labor Day Cruise on Lake Texoma is 8/30-9/1. The start of the Fall Series is 9/20 with Races 1 and 2.
For those of you with Internet access, there is a LivaAboard Magazine at: http://www.liveaboardmagazine.com. This is a bimonthly on-line magazine for people who either live on their boats or spend their time dreaming about it. If you are one of those dreamers, check it out. There are a number of interesting articles and you can also sign the electronic guest book which will notify you whenever a new issue or update is available.
If any of you enjoy reading, I have recently read "Making Waves" by Anna Seaton Huntington, a member of the America 3 women's team. The beginning section called "Observations" is by Bill Koch where he talks about the critical mistakes that were made by the management . If you enjoy reading, I suggest you pick this book up, it was pretty interesting.
PRACTICE YOUR ABC'S:
Act
silly - Believe in magic - Create adventures -
Daydream every chance you get -
Enjoy
the little things -
Find time for FUN - Go to unexplored places
-
Hang upside down from trees - Imagine...
-
Join clubs - Keep it simple -
Love
all creatures -
Make time for friends - Nap when you can -
Open your mind to new ideas !!!
Question the answers - Run with the wind -
Sing favorite songs - Take days off
Uncover your talents - VENTURE out -
Walk on the wild side - X-pect the BEST
-
Yield to the moment -
Zzzz peacefully
at night.
Trivia Answers:
1. Clove Hitch
2. Your radio must be set on "U.S." instead of "International"
to receive and transmit.
3. "Please proceed as rapidly as possible in a NW direction. There is
a vessel in distress or other emergency requiring assistance."
4. Sheet Bend
5. "Flinty"
6. Estimated position
7. Securite
8. All durations of light and darkness are of equal length.
9. 180ft (a "shot" is 15 fathoms, or 90 ft)
10. 50 miles
We are all kicking and doing well. If anyone has any news to report from the fleet, please let me know. My "News Flash" is that Les just walked in and told me he had just bought a 25' Merit sailboat! I asked him what about racing with the V/MYC, and he said no problem, he still would be racing the MacGregor 25. So you guys are going to still have to sweat it out, as he is going to be on the course and giving you some competition. He will be looking for crew on the Merit to go give other clubs a taste of what Venture/MacGregor sailors can do. I hope you will join him on his new boat. He hasn't named it yet, but I blessed it in the slip. Maybe he can keep this one right side up.
I give the rain and cool weather a big welcome, don't you? It was too hot too long to sail, or maybe I just can't take it any more.
Lake Report:
Lavon is holding its own and is at normal level. There are a few
unwelcome potholes on the parking lot, but the winds this last week have been
great.
Boat Show Report:
Thanks to everyone who helped with the Boat Show . You ALL are
super---THANKS . As of 08/09/97 we have not delivered any boats, but we are
still working on a few deals. Keep your fingers crossed.
A sea captain had earned a fine reputation over the years, safely guiding merchant ships all over the world. However, there was one thing different about him; every morning he would open a small safe, pull out a piece of paper, look at it for a minute, then lock it back up.
There was much gossip and speculation about the letter's contents. Was it a treasure map? A letter from a long lost love?
On the day the captain died, the first mate naturally became responsible for his belongings. The entire crew followed him to the captain's quarters, and a hush fell over the crowded room as the officer opened the safe, retrieved the note, and read it aloud:
"Port-left; starboard-right."
Thanks to Donna Blake, Debbie Miller, and Charlotte Pryor for the delicious goodies at our July meeting.
For all of you who missed the Ice Cream Social, you missed a great one. We had about 30 people there. Thanks to Larry Featherston and Ray Pryor (Ray, were you hungry?) for cooking the hot dogs. We had lots of good food, and the pool was just right!! John Vaughan and Larry Featherston picked (and even Commodore Dave picked a little) and grinned a little. With the food, music, water activities and just general shooting the breeze, everyone seemed to have a real good time.
Sorry if you weren't there! See you in September!
September's membership meeting
will feature a representative from
Interlux
Paint
who will present an interesting and informative
question-and-answer
discussion.
Don't miss it!
September 16. 1997 - 7:30 PM
First Christian Church
1835 Walnut
Carrollton, TX
The following is a list of new computer viruses that are lurking!!!!!!! BE ALERT!! The world needs more LERTS!!!
BOBBIT VIRUS: Removes a vital part of your hard disk, then reattaches it. Unfortunately, the area is permanently disabled.
AT&T VIRUS: Every three minutes it tells you what great service you are getting.
MCI VIRUS: Every three minutes it reminds you that you are paying too much for the AT&T Virus.
PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It warns you of impending hard disk attack --- once if by LAN, twice if by C.
POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS: Never calls itself a "virus," but instead refers to itself as an "electronic microorganism."
RIGHT TO LIFE VIRUS: Won't allow you to delete a file, regardless of how old it is. If you attempt to erase a file, it requires you to first see a consultant about possible alternatives.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS: Activates every component in your system, just before the whole damn thing quits.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER VIRUS: Terminates your session and then disappears. (It'll be back.)
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine.
FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT VIRUS: Divides your hard disk into hundreds of little units, each of which does practically nothing, but all of which claim to be the most important part of your computer.
GALLUP VIRUS: Sixty percent of the PCs infected will lose 38 percent of their data 14 percent of the time. (plus or minus a 3.5 percent margin of error.)
TEXAS VIRUS: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file.
ADAM AND EVE VIRUS: Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple.
CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS: The computer locks up, screen splits erratically with a message appearing on each half blaming the other side for the problem.
AIRLINE VIRUS: You're in Dallas, but your data ends up in Singapore.
FREUDIAN VIRUS: Your computer becomes obsessed with its own motherboard.
PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes asking for more money.
ELVIS VIRUS: Makes your computer get fat and lazy, then self destructs; only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across America.
HILLARY C. VIRUS: Causes your printer to suddenly become a paper shredder.
NIKE VIRUS: Just does it!
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