November 2007
Contact the Bugle at:
613-399-2476, or by email at or
kilahara@gmail.com
or rtrant@sympatico.ca
Deadline for submissions: The 28th
of each month except February, when it is the 26th.
Coming Events!
Commodore’s Ball – Sat. Oct. 24
Annual Gen. Meeting – Sun. Oct. 25
Commodore’s
Corner
Well that wraps up another sailing season – boats away, docks out
all safe and sound – almost… There was a personal injury accident
when a mast fell during unstepping with the mast crane. Because of
the potential for severe injury with this kind of accident, we
conducted a formal accident investigation which provided a number of
recommendations to the Board of Directors. We will be giving more
detail about the accident and the proper procedure for mast stepping
and unstepping as part of a training session in the spring. The
cardinal rule of course is to ensure that the sling is holding the
mast BEFORE starting to undo the rigging.
We had mixed weather on Thanksgiving – too bad about Saturday and
the colour cruise although quite a few hardy soles did go out to
enjoy the scenery, while some went to “Taste”. However the Pot Luck
supper was terrific – great food, good company. “Who does Pot Lucks
as good as us?” We also had a Pot Luck last Friday that couldn’t be
beat. Many thanks to all the excellent chefs in the Club.
Getting back to the “boats out, docks out” theme, these events went
well and thanks to the many volunteers that helped, especially on
the dock disassembly and docks out – this is hard and sometimes
dangerous work and I congratulate all those that took the proper
caution while doing the work.
Cups and Trophies night was well attended and we were entertained by
the wit and repartee of Rob and the winners. Congratulations to all
the winners, regardless of the colour of their flags, and
especially to Muren Pickering and Highball and the cast of thousands
that sailed Highball to the overall Club Championship. Great night
– nice to see the “younger set” in the majority at the event – good
food – well done to the organizers. Also congratulations to Doreen
Hunt who won a special RC blue flag for being the “Queen Bitch” as
she puts it, without her, I am told, the Race Committee would not
know what they were doing.
Next month is the Annual General Meeting November 25th.
In addition to the normal agenda, we will be providing a report on
the work that has been underway as a result of the Long Range
Planning exercise we undertook in January. Hope to see you all
there,
Dave
From The House!
The work of operating our social centre continues. A number of
events will be taking place in the Club House this month as you know
and as are still be announced, no doubt.. Members are reminded of
the Friday Happy Hours, a pleasant and enjoyable tradition,
and the perfect ending to a busy week.
From
the Dock Master
The Dock Master rests. With the harbour clear, Tonny can breathe
easily for a while, while we who use the docks offer our
appreciation for a job well done. Thank you to Tonny den Boer.
Colour Cruise
The annual Fall Colour
Cruise was once again a very enjoyable event, despite the weather.
Many Club members did their cruising from inside the building, but a
few intrepid souls set sail for Hallowell Cove and maintained proper
nautical traditions. The main brace was properly spiced, of course,
whether aboard a yacht or in the confines of the building. Back at
the Clubhouse another spectacular pot luck dinner provided a
memorable meal, and this was organized by Cathie Coultis ably
assisted by various members as required. Definitely a fine event
once again.
Cups and Trophies
Following the haulout of
the trailer boats and docks, the annual awards dinner and
presentation took place. Fleet Captain Rob Giberson once again took
charge of the ceremonies and did so superbly with his usual skill
and good humour. While everyone involved cannot be named as space
and memory are limited, a few most certainly deserve our attention
and congratulations.
The Club Championship was
awarded to High Ball, owned by Muren Pickering, and
Mai Tai, owned by Harvey Gottfried also put on a fine
performance during the season. Regardless, skippered
by Mark Leavitt collected a good number of flags, and Gord and Gail
Fox, with Fox in the Run did well and Foxfire,
owned by Mark Graham also added to her collection of flags.
A standing ovation was
awarded to Doreen Hunt for her Race Committee efforts and to the
Fleet Captain, Rob Giberson for organizing the season’s racing.
Odds and Ends
Splicing the main brace
is a common expression among sailors, how many know its origin? The
‘main brace’ is a vital bit of running rigging on a square rigger,
controlling the angle of the yard from which a squares’l is
suspended. The main braces, port and starboard, are for the
course or mains’l, the lowest and often largest, sail on
the main mast. In the days of hemp, manila and sisal rope, these
lines frequently broke under strain, and usually in tough conditions
with high winds. A rapid repair was essential, and many hands were
involved. It was customary to reward those involved for a speedy
‘fix’ with a generous tot of rum, or a suitable substitute in
earlier times before that beverage was introduced to ships at sea.
The expression is still applied when it is time to ‘Up Spirits!’
This summer the annual
CORK Regatta was held from Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, along
with the Volvo Youth Worlds which preceded the event. This is the
world’s largest fresh water annual regatta and an international
event. Volunteers, as with every organization, make the event
possible. Despite its size, CORK-Sail Kingston has only one
full-time paid employee who runs the office, and the staff is
doubled during the racing season. Hundreds of volunteers are needed
for all other positions. There is usually a serious need for boats
to join the Race Committee and Safety Committee. Volunteers are
always welcome. This year marked my fifteenth year with the CORK
RC, and Connie Lister of Namaste has been involved even
longer. This season we were joined by Eric Bronson who was a
valuable crew aboard Lady Anne II. In the past, many PEYC
members have taken part, as volunteers and competitors. Please think
about joining us next year. Connie and I both plan the make CORK a
part of our celebration for a milestone birthday. Please consider
participating. The event takes place during August, mainly, and
volunteers are welcome for a single day or the entire event as well
as times between. For information talk with one of us or contact
CORK-Sail Kingston, at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
The Hedonists
are hiding in their corner…
PRINCE EDWARD YACHT CLUB