Commodores Comments
When a fiberglass vessel gets soft or spongy, you take quick action to repair the problem. It is worse than you thought. We have a 1994 Boston Whaler that has been a steady and fun boat, but the ravages of time created some soft spots in the deck. Fortunately, past Commodore Steve Hanson is an experienced boat builder and speaks fluent glass.
Steve is very generous with his time and knowledge in everything boat related. He loves to sail and teach sailing as much as he enjoys boat building. I called Steve and described my problem. He invited me to his home for a lesson. Steve unraveled the mysteries behind the WestSystem epoxy and resin, the myriad product numbers, pumps, the mystery of the fiberglass (“glass”) cloth, the filler and fairing compounds. Warning: there is a fair amount of grinding, sanding, cutting and safety gear involved. Fire is a real possibility.
After touring Steve’s beautiful grounds, he gave me a hands-on course applying epoxy and glass. These are skills I’ve heard about for years but have never seen or practiced. In a short visit, Steve lifted the veil and I’m an avid devotee. I came home and went to work on our Boston Whaler. A few days later, the soft spots were cured and the sanding completed. I’m not signing up for the shipyard, but I am happy in the knowledge I’ve acquired.
The yacht club has a few soft spots and you don’t have to speak fluent glass to help fix them. TENNIS COURT. Gary Hermanson has a done a great job working with the contractor on the court. Ben Rennolds Tennis did the crack repair, painting and striping. The old courts were in very bad shape, but now we have two very good courts that are being used regularly by tennis and pickle ball players. Please check out the courts and play a few sets. We need all of you to help maintain the good condition of the courts.
Like a boat, a tennis court may not sit idle without maintenance. If you see water on the court, please grab the roller and push the water off the court. If you see leaves and other debris on the courts, please grab the broom and sweep them off or get a blower and clean the court. You don’t have to speak fluent glass to keep the court in good shape but you have to help. Organizations struggle because 10% of the members do 90% of the work 100% of the time. The Ware River Yacht Club prides itself on being a member supported organization. Members, please get out and support your club.
The tennis court renovation was very expensive. If you have not donated to the renovation fund, please do so now. The courts are beautiful and playable. It is a very private setting for fun and competitive games. Organize your friends in weekly games, a tennis ladder or a weekend Tournament de Ware Neck. Use your club facilities but also help maintain them.
Keeping on the self help, learn how to fix and fix things theme, please sign up to help with the Governor’s Cup Sailing Regatta August 6-7, 2022. This is a great event. It is the showcase event for the yacht club, and we are proud to host and run it. It is always a great crew of people that travel from afar to enjoy the bounty of our club. We need volunteers to help with traffic control, food service and preparation, skipper and crew
check in, sales, scoring calculation and on the water work (crew and boat operators). You do not need prior experience. A good attitude carries the day.
Nautical term: Baggywrinkle - a soft covering for lines on vessels to prevent chafing the
sails.
Fair winds and following seas.
John A. Singleton
Commodore
The latest Fleet scuttlebutt..........
Adult Sailing classes have been a smashing success thanks to the generous donation of time from members Joe Morgan, Mike Mastracci, Scott Titus and Clayton James. We are almost thru our first 4 week session for both keel boat and dinghy lessons with 10 or more folks out each weekend; and thanks to some mild sailing conditions, all boats managed to get out on the water last Saturday. We plan to continue running these classes concurrent thru at least July.
We’ve had some renewed interest in our Albacore Sunday sailing and are considering running some very basic race courses in August following the Governors Cup Regatta. More to come as we determine interest. Also, if anyone has interest in learning how to participate in Race Committee (RC) duties, John Singleton has agreed to host a class. Please let me or John know if interested.
Speaking of Governors Cup, this years event is scheduled for August 5-7 and will have the usual Class boats invited. This is an opportunity for all club members to participate as we can always use volunteers for various support roles throughout the weekend. If your interested in volunteering, please let the club, me or Scott Titus know.
Lastly, we have made great progress with out boat/trailer registry and I want to thank all those members who took time to help us ID boats and assign storage spots. We still have some cleanup to do but we are in good shape now and I appreciate the attention given this initiative. If anyone still has a question about this process please let me know.
Gentle tides and blue skies,
Jim Garrett Fleet Captain
Sunset Shenanigans
Earlier in June we had a fantastic, low-key potluck with an intimate group of members. Everyone brought a dish, their favorite beverage, and (in Mause’s case) a guitar and enjoyed good company and cornhole. Check out the highlights here and consider joining us for the next one!
Of course, we have our much-hyped July 4th (yes, its on the 3rd, sue me) celebration coming up and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase a new and exciting social at WRYC! Many thanks to our gracious hostess, Antenette, for stepping up to the plate to plan it and our volunteers to help make it fun for all! If you are interested in hosting a social, or want to help out the club, please contact Autumn at bariautumn@gmail.com.
Welcome New Members!
June was a busy month and we would like to welcome the following new members to the WRYC family:
Bernadette Tipton & Keith Lansing of Mathews, both of whom are participating and enjoying, the very popular Adult Sailing lessons.
Edwin Cape of Yorktown, a referral from member, Dave Waldman. Edwin has already been out a few days helping Dave with the fleet.
Justin & Emma Barker and their two daughters; Natalie & Chloe of Gloucester.
Beve Hermanson/Membership
Clubhouse Refresh
WRYC is such a great venue for all of life’s celebrations. With that in mind we are seeking members who have an interest in decorating to assist with refresh ideas for the interior of the Club building. If you have an interest please reach out to me, Layne Brown, wareriveryc@gmail.com or 804.502.7354.
There are still a few open dates on the Fall rental calendar. We already have three Spring bookings for 2023. Keep sharing what a lovely spot WRYC is for all of life’s celebrations.
Layne Brown, WRYC Manager
Kedging...
Kedging is a maneuver used when a sailboat runs aground or needs to maneuver out of tight harbors or tidal river entrances. You attach a small anchor, known as a kedge anchor, to a long line or rode and take it in the direction you want to move the sailboat and throw it overboard. You then haul in the rode to pull yourself to the kedge anchor and repeat until you are free.
From Sailing Magazine article by Andy Schell: “If an inflatable with an outboard is all you have, make it easier on yourself by loading the anchor in the center of the dinghy and then take in the rode over the bow. Be sure to flake the line down instead of coiling it, so that it will run smoothly as you haul the anchor away from the mother ship. When everything is ready, drive the outboard in reverse and let the line pay out from the bow. You may get wet, but this will keep the line away from the prop and also makes it easier to control the dinghy in a crosswind.”
In July 1812 Captain Isaac Hull in command of the USS Constitution found himself nearly in the grasp of a British sailing squadron off Egg Harbor, New York. All ships were becalmed but Hull was able to escape by kedging and several other creative moves. Here is the full story https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/major-events/escaping-a-british-squadron/
Why kedging? It is an interesting term and simple but complex act. For the WRYC we are kedging are way forward. We opened the sailing season with Flag Raising on Saturday May 7, 2022. Thank you to Scout Master Jason Wells and Scout Troop 10; Layne and Bill Brown for hosting the event and Harry Taylor for his tasty and potent Mint Juleps.
Kedging is self help and that is what the WRYC is, self help. We are not supported by government grants or handouts. The club was built by our founders, who did all the work. Now we need to heed their example but the form of work now is raising funds for the tennis court, pier and bulk head.
Real kedging is being taught at the adult sailing program and we are a few weeks away from Sunday racing series. Come out and enjoy the club and its many amenities. Autumn Taylor is brewing up a very special 4th of July event with games, food truck, live music and fireworks.
Fair winds and following seas.
John A. Singleton
Commodore