Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and fellow members! First of all, thank you to the energetic, knowledgeable and enthusiastic members who have stepped up to assist with sail season preparations, Junior Sailing planning and preparation, and even boat rescues! We are now in a good position to enjoy the best that our location and Mother Nature can provide.
I would ask anyone with boats or trailers on the club grounds to please consider whether you wish to maintain ownership. I know that most of you are active and conscientious owners, but we do have a few sadly neglected assets on the property. In fairness to everyone, we may need to ask some of you to make a tough but necessary and overdue decision. In particular, there is a centerboard sloop near the basketball goal, and it has languished too many years without attention – do you or does someone you know have an interest in it? The license plate on the trailer (VA 462-976) appears to have been last updated in 2005, the wood deck, cuddy and other elements have deteriorated badly, and it may be time to transition it to boat heaven. If we receive no response from members, we will place a small notice in the local paper, after which… bon voyage! For the boats and trailers whose ownership is identifiable, I may be in touch with you individually just to make sure that it’s your continued wish to keep the asset. Many thanks in advance!
After some disappointing weather over the Memorial Day weekend, we were more active this past weekend with our keelboat. It remains moored in the last slip at the end of our pier, and requires less effort than in previous seasons to embark and disembark.
Next week (6/15), the 1st session of Junior Sailing begins! As those youngsters are getting their feet wet, we will be in touch with campers’ parents & guardians and other interested Adult Sailors about our Albacore fleet. We’ll make preparations and plan some late afternoon weekday sails, in addition to the bi-weekly Adult Sailing activities. If you don’t have a relative in our Junior Sailing program, and you are not receiving bi-weekly ‘Adult Sailing’ emails, and you have an interest, please let me know at jdudley5@triad.rr.com or (704) 363-0483.
Finally, our 62nd Annual Virginia Governor’s Cup Notice of Race has been posted! Please check it out. And if you haven’t been around for this event, you owe it to yourself to see what the excitement is all about. There are feisty young and formerly young sailors (also feisty) competing under sometimes stressful but always fun circumstances, and the camaraderie and fellowship is unique to this occasion. Please join us and ask how you might lend a hand – we need volunteers with varied skills, and you do NOT need to know port from starboard, or any of those other terms.
Have a great June! I look forward to seeing you on or near the water.
-John Dudley, Fleet Captain