Because of concerns expressed by several club members, the board of trustees took a look at the boat and trailer parking situations on club grounds and as a result added section 8 under the heading Berthing of Boats of the Rules and Regulation of the Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club, Inc. The latest revision of the bylaws can be found at [http://osyc.net/bylaws.htm->http://osyc.net/bylaws.htm]. Several changes have been made in the past few years and if you have not done so recently, please reread them, especially the Rules and Regulations part. The section pertinent to parking of boats and trailers are reprinted below for your reference. Essentially, the concerns expressed were that boats with masts up were having a difficult time finding a suitable parking place, especially those who had trailered their boats and were returning them to the club. Also, some of the day sailors that were parked on the sloping area on the side of the ramp opposite the club house would not drain properly. Another problem was that the area near the swimming and beach launching areas was being used for boat parking. The trustees decided that if the empty trailers were moved to the spaces which were not suitable for mast-up boat storage, there should be enough room to park the trailers with boats on them. Several weeks ago the trustees rearranged most of the trailers and some of the to reflect the new parking rules which are printed below. Hopefully these changes will relieve some of the stress related to finding a parking place and make the club more enjoyable for the membership. If your empty trailer is parked in an area reserved for boats on trailers, the trustees asks that you relocate them at your earliest convenience. The trustees also ask that each member take care not to block trailers with your vehicle/trailer if you are going to be away from the club grounds, i.e. out sailing. On more than one occasion, a member has arrived at the club and was unable to get his boat in the water because it was blocked. If it is absolutely necessary (when the club is crowded) that you block a boat while you are out sailing, please leave your vehicle unlocked and the keys under the drivers floor at so that the vehicle can be moved. Rules and Regulations of the Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club, Inc., BERTHING OF BOATS , section 8. Parking shall be restricted as follows: – The area between the ramp and the club house is reserved for day-use and short-term temporary use only. – The parking area between the hoist and the front gate is reserved exclusively for actively sailed mast-up sail boats. – No boats or trailers shall be parked in the swimming beach area between the sunfish racks and the swing sets. – All motorboats must be parked in the areas beyond the swimming beach. – Empty sailboat trailers must be parked in areas not suitable for mast up boat storage due to tree clearance or slope.
PICTURES FROM DENMARK
PICTURES FROM DENMARK by Jimmy Harrell As some of you know Pete Ekstrom and his family are in Denmark. His parents Eric and B have a house there and are there most of the warmer months. Pete, Joan and Lene are there for an extended visit. I asked him to send some pictures while he was there and here they are along with the text of his emails. Hope you enjoy them. From: Erik Ekstrm
Report on the first annual Commodore’s Cookout and Raft Up
Saturday started out relatively cool early in the morning. As the day progressed, the temperature rose along with the humidity. A chance of thunder storms was forecasted. Commodore Bill and crew went out early and scouted for a beach for the cookout. The first choice was taken by another group. A secondary site was chosen. Ronnie Hartley bought the ingredients and rounded up two cookers, the type some use to fry turkeys, one of which is not property of OSYC. Contingency plans were made just in case. Wouldn’t you know it, a thunder storm came through about time to leave for the selected sight. A check of the weather radar showed a small cell moving through the area and it looked like it would be over in maybe an hour. A decision was made; we would wait until about 6 o’clock and if the storm was over we would head out. Otherwise, we would prepare the meal on the point. As it turned out, the storm was over shortly after 6 and with it came cooler temperatures. Twenty one members and guests headed for the rendezvous. Directions were to head up Island Creek and turn left between the two sets of hazard markers near the mouth and on to a nice shady beach. Since the water was deep very near the beach, most boats just beached with an anchor of the stern and a line tied ashore. I think the Muellers were the only boat to anchor and tie up to another boat. Most of us went swimming and a few played some type of ball game called Jack Pot. Two preteen boys, Dakota and Jacob, tried to explain it to me so I could play but it was more than I could deal with after consuming a cup of Greg Phillips’ punch. The punch was a big hit. Ronnie Hartley and his crew set about preparing the low country boil and a fine job they did. The two cookers were set upon the bow of the club barge which had previously been run hard up on the beach. They had a table set up on shore and before long they had dumped the contents onto the table and Calvin had said grace. There was plenty of potatoes, sausage, onions, shrimp, and corn for everyone to chow down. And to top it off we have to thank Grayson for the excellent cheese cake dessert. Mother Nature waited patiently until the party was over before conjuring up another lightening display. Turned out to be a perfect outing. Wish more of you could have come. Photos of the event were provided by David Schnider and Graywon Smith. Click on this link to see photos: [http://osyc.net/photos/2006_07_15_Raft_Up->http://osyc.net/photos/2006_07_15_Raft_Up]
First Annual OSYC Raft Up and Commodore’s Cookout
Here’s the way it is supposed to work: Come to the club on Saturday and sail or hang out or whatever. ———————————————————————————————————————- Raft UP: about 6 PM Head down the lake toward Airport Island. Look for boats tucked into a cove on the right before you pass the island. Enter the cove and drop anchor and/or tie up to the shore and put out fenders. Subsequent boats will tie up to the anchored boats and put out anchors. Some of the late arriving boats may not need to anchor. Don flotation and jump overboard and enjoy a swim and fellowship with like minded. Or, just stay on your boat and watch the fools in the water. Someone could bring a beach ball for a game or keep away or dodge ball. ———————————————————————————————————————- Cookout: 8 PM Menu: Ronnie Hartley’s Modified Low Country Boil There will be no charge for the meal but we need a head count in order to buy the right amount of food. If you think you might attend, send an email to jimmy.harrell@riverside.net or call 706 484 1405 on or before Wednesday July 12. If no one answers, leave your name and the number of people attending. The club will provide soft drinks. If these will not meet your beverage needs the bring your own. Ronnie Hartley will bring the club barge to the rendezvous and plans to have the food ready by 8 PM. ———————————————————————————————————————- After the meal, each boat decides what to do: night time sail, return to OSYC docks, or anchor out for the night. Don’t forget to send an email (jimmy.harrell@riverside.net) if you think you might be able to attend.
July 1st at OSYC
In the past few years we have gathered at OSYC to watch the fireworks display presented by the Milledgeville Country Club and this and a hot dog supper was put on the OSYC calendar for 2006. We are still planning to have the Hot Dog supper on Saturday July 1st but the country club had decided not to have the fireworks display this year. There is, however, a planned fireworks display scheduled at the Milledgeville Mall on Saturday, July 1st . {{{ {{Schedule of Events on Saturday}} Come to the club early and enjoy the lake. Chips and Salsa at about 3 PM. Hot Dog Dinner will be served at about 6:30 PM. Drive to the Milledgeville Mall after sundown and enjoy the Fireworks Display or watch the private displays around the lake. Return to the club afterwards and continue personal weekend plans.}}}
B.E.E.R. Cruise Trip Report, June 2006, Jeff Morrow
B.E.E.R. Cruise 2006 Well for those of you who didn’t make the trip to Pensacola Florida for the B.E.E.R. Cruise, you missed a great time. The winds were 10 to 15 knots during the day and around five at night, humidity was low and most of the time the skies were a picture perfect blue. I just can’t emphasize enough how great of a weekend it was. Also, our area was well represented with six boats from middle Georgia. Bob Horan and two crewmembers, Calvin and Grayson, Jimmy Harrell, Ronnie and Medra Hartley, Ken and Jennifer Griffin and ourselves. Our trip started late as usual and we pulled out of the driveway about 1:00 in the afternoon. Our trip was uneventful and we arrived in Pensacola about 6:30 local time. This of course was just when dinner was being served and we feasted on a Cajun style meal consisting of Shrimp Creole, rice, bread and corn on the cob. Good eating even for latecomers. There was much activity at the marina as many boats were in various stages of setup and launch. Once we had our fill, we began setting up the boat. It was nice to have everyone around and I even received help from Bob Horan’s crew (sorry, I can’t remember their names). Luckily, we were able to get one of the last slips at the dock. Afterward we chatted with several other cruisers before turning in for the night. Saturday morning was bright and clear with a nice cool breeze blowing. We decided to make a run to get a quick bite to eat and pick up some last minute items at WalMart. When we got back to the marina, it was clear our quick run lasted too long because everyone was gone. O-well, late again but we were on vacation and it just didn’t matter. After motoring out of Bayou Chico and into the bay, we set a southeast course toward the mouth of Santa Rosa Sound and hoisted sail. About three miles ahead we could see fellow cruisers making for the sound. So, with the wind astern, we decided to raise the asymmetrical spinnaker to make up lost time. Within the hour we turned east toward the sound and replaced the spinnaker with the jib. We made good progress east and after several hours we made our way into the anchorage just west of the Navarre Bridge. After dropping anchor in about eight feet of water it was time to head ashore. After inflating our dinghy it was time to head in for dinner. Linda boards easily but yours truly didn’t quite make it into the dinghy. So after my quick dip (with cell phone in pocket by the way) we made our way ashore. We dined with Bob and crew and had a nice dinner at an outdoor restaurant just along the beach as the sun began to set. The setting couldn’t be much better. After a walk along the beach it was time to head back to the boat. This time it was Linda that took a quick dip. Once back on the boat it was time for a quick shower on deck and then get ready for bed. The breeze was so nice and cool that all we needed to do was open the front hatch and ports and let natures air conditioning keep us cool at night. The next morning was gray with a light breeze out of the west-northwest, so we decided to stay on board and have a light breakfast. Jimmy was one of the first boats to leave with Calvin shortly after. On trying to start our outboard we found our battery dead. O-well, we’re off with a couple of pulls on the starter cord. The wind was light and fluky for much of the day and heading west proved slow going. However, the cloud cover burned off later in the afternoon, the wind piped up to around 10 knots or so and it was off to the races once again. Ken and Jennifer on their Hunter 260 and we on our 26 had fun racing to windward. We hung with them for a while but in the end they slowly pulled away from us. Once we reached Quietwater Beach we decided to anchor closer to the beach than the night before. Ken and Jennifer had anchored close to shore with anchors from bow and stern. We anchored just to their starboard also with bow and stern anchors in about three feet of water. Bob was just to our starboard with two anchors off the bow. Many other boats were packed close to shore as well. Making the short dinghy trip without incident we made our way to Flounders Restaurant. We sat with Calvin, Grayson, Ronnie and Medra and had a wonderful meal and great conversation then back to the boat (again without incident) for some much needed rest. We drift off to sleep with the cool evening breeze gently flowing through the boat. The next morning brought a fresh breeze from the north. Being anchored from the bow and stern with our beam along the beach we are in a precarious position. After some discussion with others around us it’s time for a morning dip to move the boats around so they are pointed into the wind instead of beam on. Again, Jimmy is one of the first to leave and others make there way out shortly after. Once we’re pointed into the wind we fire up the iron jenny and made our way out to the channel, then hoist sail and head westward toward Pensacola Bay. Once in the bay, everyone else heads west to the next anchorage at Sand Island but we decide that we would like a nice shower, electricity to charge our battery and dinner at another restaurant. So we make our way northwest back to the marina and away from the rest of the group. The next morning we ate breakfast and reluctantly pulled the boat out of the water. Then we began getting ready to head to Ft Walton Beach as I had a meeting I had to attend for work on Wednesday. As we were taking the boat down we kept looking for Jimmy to tie up to the dock, as he always left early to make his way to the next port of call. He must have slept in on Tuesday. Even though we stayed at a nice hotel in Ft Walton, both of us would have preferred to still be on the boat and making our way to some distant port. O-well, maybe someday we’ll head out. From the deck of Summer Breeze. Jeff Morrow
Spring Series Final, June 11-12
Turns out the dog days of summer beat us to the punch, with heat in the 90s and no wind. So we wrapped up the spring sailing season in true southern style. That is, over a dozen sailors spent the day sitting on the porch swing watching the jet skis carve up the glassy smooth lake while sipping cool beverages, and spinning tales of great sailing trips to windy places. {In anticipation, Jay Harrell had previously written:}
Heads up! There has been some confusion about the schedule, so here it is: The final two races of the Spring Series are this weekend, June 11 and 12. Come join us as we wrap up the Spring Season at OSYC and get ready for the dog days of summer.
Club News
{{{ {{Property Assessment}} }}} We just received the new Annual Assessment Notice for the club property. The revised value is $446,400, up from $267,000. The reasons given were: C2 – New Accessory Improvement added. SC – STRUCTURE CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED It’s noteworthy that they did not cite Comparable Sales as a reason. It doesn’t seem reasonable that the seawall and dock alone would nearly double the value of the land. The deadline for appeal is July 3. The Board if Trustees is discussing whether we should appeal and on what grounds. {{{ {{Raft Up Tentatively Planned for July 15}} }}} We will have a party on the lake. We will locate a secluded cove on the lake, motor or sail to the location, anchor or raft up, swim and frolic in the water, and feast on low country boil. There will be more on this later. {{{ {{Use of Club Facilities by non Member Groups}} }}} Occasionally, non-member groups, such as Boy Scouts, the thistle regattas, and church groups, have been given permission to use the club grounds and facilities. Although these events sometimes incur costs to the club, we have not charged or been reimbursed for these costs. The Trustees are in the process of formulating rules for permitting these events and recouping costs associated with the events, such as costs for paper supplies and gasoline for the committee boat. {{{ {{Trailer and Boat Parking}} }}} There have been several informal discussions about how to improve the parking situation at OSYC. The Trustees are working on a solution and if you have ideas, talk to one of the board members.
Motors Stolen from OSYC
During the week of May 21st we had 2 outboard motors stolen off of boats at the club. One of the boats was in the water, the other on land. Both motors were 9.9 HP. One was a Mercury and the other a Johnson. We suspect that the thieves came by boat, but are not sure. We have been very fortunate to have had very little theft and vandalism at the club for the past number of years. The club property is very vulnerable to thieves during the week due to minimal usage during that time. I would ask that each of you on your next visit assess your boat’s for susceptibility to theft. Does your outboard have a lock on it? ( Both stolen motors were not locked) Are your hatches locked? Are there any valuables laying in the cockpit? There is no way to stop a determined thief, but if we make it more difficult to get something, maybe they will move on down the lake. I hope this is an isolated incident and that we will have no more problems, but we should all be more aware of the chance of thefts and take actions to reduce our venerability.
Notice of Race, May 27-28
The Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club will hold races 4 and 5 in its spring racing series this weekend. The weather forecast for Saturday the 27th call for mostly sunny skies and winds from the WSW at 7 with a high temp of 90 degrees. Sunday the 28th will be much the same but the winds should clock around to come from the SW. All in all, good racing weather. Ya’ll come race! Also, we need race committee volunteers for both days. All you need to do is show up and follow the directions. Not a difficult job at all. If you are willing to serve, please e-mail me (dougmacmillan@pineschurch.com) or call me at 478-731-4603. I’ll meet you at the lake and walk you through the whole process. Our club will only be as strong as we make it. See you on the water! – Doug MacMillan, 2006 Race Chair