RAFT UP - Boca Ciega Yacht Club

August 2016
September 3-4
RAFT UP
and we're going Jamaican, mon
Captain's Meeting and Dinner Saturday night
followed by Island Boys Steel Drum Band
Raft up Sunday starting at 8:30 am
Details inside on page 9
You MUST sign up for dinners online
Registration is open NOW
Original Raft-Up artwork by Mike Oertle
Commodore’s Corner
2016 Flag Officers
Commodore
Richard Walters
Vice Commodore
Lee Nell
Rear Commodore
Cathy Talisman
Secretary
Lisa Glaser
Treasurer
Jimmy Meyer
Fleet Captain
Don Rogers
Board of Directors
Board Members 2015-2016
Jennifer Buckley
Jonathan Gillespie
Juli Jacoby
Cassie Richards
Board Members 2016-2017
Joel Heyne
Dick Risk
Jennifer Rogers
Marty Southard
Immediate Past Commodore
Shep Massar
Assistant to the Treasurer
Michael Oertle
Flag Officer, Board and other BCYC
member phone numbers and email
addresses available to club members
at www.sailbcyc.org
Submitted by Richard Walters, 2016 Commodore
Greetings Members,
We can blame it on the Greeks and their dog Sirius for the heat we're
having to endure this month. That’s right we're in the “dog days of summer”, but let it be known that this relationship with hot weather and
dogs did not come from the Greeks. The phrase “dog days” originally
had nothing to do with dogs lying around panting from the summer
heat. Instead it refers to the Dog Star, Sirius, and the position of his nose
in the heavens. During this time of year it can be seen rising just before
the sun. A Professor stated once, “It seems to be a human tendency
when we don’t know the origin of a phrase, we come up with a plausible explanation.” Like Professor Tony giving you a flag for something
you did on a cruise that isn’t exactly how it happened, but it doesn’t
matter. You’re still getting the flag.
In our case I will leave the cat lying where she is and get back to this
dog’s job of communicating club events. We have received the design
drawing for the updates on the north side. With this drawing we are
contacting General Contractors to put together material and labor
costs to be reviewed by the board. We have buried a conduit in the
parking lot for the fiber optic cable routed to the camera to be installed
at the end of A dock. Getting this done was necessary to stay on
schedule with having the parking lot repaved in August. Exact time and
temporary parking lot restrictions to be communicated shortly. Yes, finally we’re getting rid of the pot holes. The city has delayed indefinitely
paving their dry storage area. This decision made us decide to include
paving under our Catalinas to improve the finished look and complete
our responsibility to the city.
Besides the new paving we will be removing all the yellow parking
blocks we trip over, the rotting railroad ties, and any other broken concrete. A continuous new curb will be installed with the necessary ADA
five foot walkthroughs. In addition, to help our members navigate getting their boats in and out of our ramp we are removing the corner on
the other side of the parking lot in front of the ramp. The curbing project will start at some time after the parking lot is repaved. Please follow
any emailed or posted parking lot restrictions during these projects.
Windword Newsletter published monthly.
Submissions deadline Wednesday following
the Monthly General Meeting.
Email submissions to Jen Rogers:
[email protected]
Finally, our shade is soon to be installed, so as you can see were not lying around with the dogs or le Chat.
Boca Ciega Yacht Club & Anchorage
4600 Tifton Drive South • Gulfport, FL 33711
727-321-7295
Mailing address for ALL payments by check:
Boca Ciega Yacht Club
PO Box 530848 | St. Petersburg FL 33747
Capt. Richard “Sandbar” Walters
SV SeaHawk
BCYC Commodore
2
Highest Regards,
View this newsletter in full color online at www.sailbcyc.org
August Birthdays
Deanna Agnello................................................... August 3
Craig Frethem....................................................... August 8
William Miles......................................................... August 8
George Leonard.................................................August 10
Lee Howell...........................................................August 11
Michael Livers.....................................................August 16
Lewis Brier............................................................August 18
Submitted by Trish Dale
Todd Terrell..........................................................August 19
Karen Koser.........................................................August 20
Joel Heyne............................................................August 21
Joey Dale..............................................................August 24
Jody Ann Blodgett............................................August 25
Becky Gilmore.....................................................August 25
Janet Fox...............................................................August 27
Nadine Smith......................................................August 27
Peter Kvasnicka..................................................August 28
Mike Collins.........................................................August 30
Are we missing your birthday?
Please edit your member information in Wild Apricot
or contact Trish Dale.
BCYC Merchandise for Sale
Support BCYC and Look Good Too!
Unisex Long-sleeve Zippered Shirt........................................................$20
Women's Pullover Sweatshirt..................................................................$22
BCYC Tervis Tumblers with lid 16oz.......................................................$17
BCYC Tervis Tumblers with lid 24oz.......................................................$20
Men and Ladies Embroidered Polos.............................................$18-$28
Tees—Long & Short-sleeve, Silkscreen & Embroidered........$18-$20
Sweatshirts............................................................................................$22-$40
Ball Caps, Embroidered.....................................................................$14-$15
Burgees—Fly Them with Pride................................................................$28
BCYC License Plates.....................................................................................$10
Our display case at the club gives you a sampling of items from our inventory. They are available for purchase at
monthly club meetings and at some work days and club events. Please text, call or email Patty Tishuk at
727-488-4167 ([email protected]) and she will try to accommodate your schedule within reason.
We accept cash or checks only. Checks to be made payable to BCYC. Thank you and smooth sailing!
www.sailbcyc.org
3
Thanks to Our Photographers!
The most popular part of the Windword each month are the club photos, candid and
otherwise. We want to thank all of you shutterbugs out there who send us such great
material. This newsletter wouldn’t be the same without you.
This month’s contributors are: Joye Swisher, Tony Angel, Judy Trehy, Matt Maloy and
Richard Walters.
Thanks to you all!
Free Marine Classifieds
Do you have any marine related items you want to
purchase, trade or sell? Take a step up from the club
bulletin board. Email [email protected]
For Sale: Revere Coastal Commander 2.0 Life Raft for sale, $1,150. Purchased new 3/2/16. Carried on board for trip
to the Bahamas in March and April. Valise never opened. In like new condition. Will not need service for three years
(March 2019). Under warranty 12 years. List price $1,699.99. Call Bob 727-381-4639.
For Sale: S2 “27 Performance Cruiser”. Price reduced to $7,500. A fast, fun racing or cruising boat. Yanmar 1GM10
Diesel, Hood Mechanical Boom Vang, Garmin Chart Plotter, Raymarine ST200+ Auto Helm, Raritan PHII Head with
new pump, 25# CQR w/ 50’ SS chain + rode, Danforth spare or stern anchor, Kenyon 2 burner stove. Boat is in Club
slip B-21. Call Dave Koser (352)584-6807 email [email protected]
For Sale: Vacation heaven, one week on a 44 ft Sunsail Robertson Caine Catamaran anywhere they sail, 4 staterooms, sleeps 8, bareboat with qualifications or hire a captain. Sunsail has over 20 bases around the world. Must be
used this year. $3000 for the rental, that's half price. Call with questions Steve 602-373-7496. Go have some fun.
For Sale: 2012 Tohatsu 8 HP 4-Stroke Outboard Motor, Fuel tank, and fuel line. Safety lanyard. Very low hours.
$850. Craftsman 22” 150cc 4-Cycle Self-Propelled mower, used twice. Like new. $200. Craftsman 30cc 4-Cycle
Straight Shaft Gas Trimmer; Like new. $125. Call Dick at (727) 289-6696.
For Sale: 14' outrigger sailing canoe. Can be seen at BCYC dry slip #15 $3000.00 w/o trailer, $3800.00 w/trailer.
Call Wesley 813-810-2554
For Sale: 31 ft Bombay clipper $12,000 29 HP engine 200 hr ready to go sailing AJ Pope 352-359-3926
BCYC Web Site
www.sailbcyc.org
Be sure to check our web site regularly to sign up for events; for What's
Trending Now and calendar updates, weather and tide links, full-color
Windword online, Wild Apricot membership features and more.
Advertising Rates
Business Card Ad
Quarter Page Ad
Half Page Ad
Full Page Ad
One Month.................$15
One Month.................$30
One Month.................$45
One Month.................$60
Three Months............$30
Three Months............$60
Three Months......... $100
Three Months......... $120
Six Months ................$50
Six Months ............. $100
Six Months ............. $150
Six Months.............. $200
One Year......................$75
One Year................... $150
One Year................... $250
One Year................... $300
Submit payment to: BCYC Treasurer, PO Box 530848, St Petersburg, FL 33747
Checks made payable to: BCYC
Questions or ad specs: Lee Nell, 215-518-7671, [email protected]
Submit artwork (PDF preferred) to: Jennifer Rogers, [email protected]
4
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
August 2016
Board Meeting
7:30
1 Tuesday Night2 Racing
(every Tues 5pm)
3
Sea Scouts
(every Wed 5pm)
Thursday
Friday
4
Saturday
5
6
Twin Dolphin
Cruise
7 8 910
1112
13
Twin Dolphin
Cruise
14 151617
1819
20
General Meeting
8 pm
Workday 9am
Rhumb Runners 11am
Covered Dish 6 pm
2526
27
21 222324
Club Racing
12 pm
Windword
Deadline
28 2930 31
RR's Sunfish
Sundays 11 am
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
September 2016
Tuesday Night Racing
(every Tues 5pm)
Sea Scouts
(every Wed 5pm)
Thursday
1
Friday
Saturday
2
3
Raft-Up Captain's
Raft-Up Volunteers
Meeting 5:30 - 6:30
10 - 4:30
Raft-Up Dinner
7 pm
4 567
89
10
RAFT UP!
Little
Harbor?
Board Meeting
8-4:30
Cruise
7:30
11 121314
1516
17
General Meeting
8 pm
Little Harbor?
Cruise
Workday 9am
Rhumb Runners 11am
Covered Dish 6 pm
18 192021
2223
24
Club Racing
12 pm
Special
Windword
Deadline
28 2930 31
RR's Sunfish
Sundays 11 am
To avoid scheduling conflicts, please contact Secretary Lisa Glaser for calendar
updates. Phone 727-430-5222 or email: [email protected]
5
Skyway Jack’s
Come In, Pig Out!!!!
(Carry out also available)
2795 34th Street South
Saint Petersburg, FL 33711
(727) 867-1907/ (727) 866-3217
Open 7 days, 5am-3pm daily!!!
www.skywayjacksfl.com
Find us on Facebook @ Skyway Jacks of Florida!!
Masthead Sailing Gear
727 895-4481 • Saltcreekmarina.net
727-327-5361
4500 28th St. N., St. Petersburg
Visit our new 12,000sf store & sail loft.
Service with a smile…
Come say “Hi!” to Coco
and Buddy and get your
free Koozie
6
• We offer a wide variety
of repairs &
maintenance services
• Long term dry storage
• Insurance estimates
• Mast and Sail services
• Short Haul for Survey
• Full Service Bottom
Paint Job
• Zinc and thru hull
specials
107 15th Avenue S.E.
St Petersburg, FL 33701

USED SAILS - Over 3,000 racing &
cruising sails in stock.

SAIL LOFT - New sails, sail repairs,
sailcovers.

SAILING STORE– Hardware, line
Sailing Apparel & Gear

Boat Dealership
New Catalina Sailboats
New Com-Pac Yachts
Used Sailboats up to 30’

KAYAKS - fishing & recreational
wwww.mastheadsailinggear.com
mastheadsailinggear
Support our advertisers. Tell them you saw them in the Windword!
Welcome!
Jillian Reed
Boat: Boston Whaler
Name: That-a-Way
July New Members
Andy & Jihi Bustamante
(Jihi not shown)
Boat: None
Cruise Report July 2016
Submitted by Don & Jen Rogers
We had a good turnout for a holiday weekend - nine
boats headed to Little Harbor on the 2nd. Two boats
had to dropout beforehand for "boatical" problems.
In the morning, fourteen of us returned for the legendary Sunday brunch. A vote was taken at the table as to
where the next Jello cruise should go, and it was decided we should head to Twin Dolphins for August. We may
return to Little Harbor in September - who knows?
We also welcomed two new BCYC cruisers: David &
Lori Price on La Sirena and Rod Ruple (accompanied by
stowaway Jim Barber) on JesSea. Steve and Suzanne
Dix on Stealin' Time came along for their second BCYC
cruise - good to have you back.
By the way the June cruise was the first BCYC cruise for
Gerard & Patricia Gaudry on Panache. It's nice to see
new faces around the happy hour feast.
We had a nice downwind sail to Little Harbor, not
exciting but good. Bad weather threatened all the way
over but ultimately left us alone. We had our happy
get-together at the pool, joined by land cruisers Tony
& Gerri, Todd Terrell and AJ & Lori Pope. Unfortunately
for us, the hotel & condos are doing very well this year
and the pool was crowded with (gasp!) other people!
What's up with that? But we had a good time anyway,
and some of us still managed to go to dinner at the
Sunset Grille.
As luck would have it, there were no BCYC flag-worthy
events. We did witness two sailboat captains who
should be members though. Don saw a Hunter at the
Gulfport Municipal fuel dock as they finished putting 20
gallons of diesel in their holding tank. And later in the
day he got a call from a client who filled his water tank
with fuel. See? There are LOTS more prospective members out there!
See you at Twin Dolphins on August 6th and 7th!
7
Sunshine Skyway
Ace Hardware
the helpful place
4501 34th Street South
St Petersburg, FL 33711
727-867-6977
727-866-2447(fax)
It’s time to get your
Sailing Weekends
back!
Full hardware inventory, and check out our
Marine Supply section for reasonable prices.
Tools, stainless hardware, personal service
and more…everything you need.
Present this coupon for
$5 off
your purchase of $25 or more
Expires September 30, 2016
Visit our
Seafood Market
727-321-1068
Follow us on Facebook
facebook.com/
gulfcoastseafoodflorida/
Tuesday-Friday 10AM-6 PM | Saturday 10AM-4 PM
Fish Fresh Cut Daily
9th Ave S
Live Lobster Tanks
Domestic Fish
Quality Frozen Products
We
are
here
49th Street
to BCYC
Domestic Wild Gulf Shrimp
4921 9th Avenue South Gulfport, FL 33707
Half-block west of 49th Street on 9th Ave South
www.gulfcoastseafoodfl.com
[email protected]
Expert advice - In the industry since 1978
8
Watch for money-saving coupons from our advertisers!
2016 BCYC Reggae Raft-Up
September 3-4
Saturday Schedule of Activities:
Sunday Schedule of Activities
5:30 p.m. Mandatory Raft-Up Boat Captain’s Meeting
(all times are approximate)
7:00 p.m. Raft-Up Dinner
8:30-ish: Begin Tying the Raft

Pineapple/Mango Salsa &Chips

Shrimp/Cocktail Sauce
Noon-ish: Enjoy the Raft-Up Party!
Includes Keg and Music

Jerk Chicken

Bourbon Pulled Pork

Fresh Fruit Cup

Beans/Rice

Sweet Potato

Roll/Butter

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake/Rum Cake

Keg will be tapped
4:00-ish: Coordinated Break-Up
Entertainment – Island Boys Steel Drum Band
Dinner Pricing – $16.50 per person
Registration will open to BCYC members on July 1 and open to guests (TSS, etc.)
on August 1. Register early because reservations will be capped at 160. All
registrations must be made online via the BCYS website (www.sailbcyc.org) and all
payments must be received by Tuesday, August 30, 2016 or registration will be
cancelled. No payments or registrations will be accepted at the door.
9
Rear Commodore Report
Submitted by Cathy Talisman RC Square
Hello everyone!
July workday was brutally hot. But many of you came
and took care of the club.
A trench was dug out and a pvc pipe was installed for
the incoming installation of a camera in the basin. This
sweaty task was done by Richard Walters, Don Rogers,
Mixer and Phong Long.
House Etiquette
This is the time to remind everyone, new and old
members, that this is a volunteer club. There is no one
designated for any particular task. If you use it, clean it
and put it away. This goes for the tool room as well. If
you see a trash can full, please empty it. Dumping dirty
dishes, silverware and cups in the sink and leave the
club is gross and disrespectful. Many thanks for being a
responsible and considerate member.
Landscaping was taken care by Becky Gilmore, Rhonda
Fuller, Michael Oertle, Lee Howell, Jim Barber and Linda
Maloy.
Mixer and Doug Fuller replaced the metal grids for our
smoker/barbecue.
The front porch was cleared of the trash cans, recycling
bins and coolers. It is now an inviting area to come to
when you enter the club. Jean Graham and Chris Oertle
scrubbed the walls and floors. It looks much better.
The kitchen and refrigerator were taken care by Asa
Folsom. Good job!
Patty Tishuk and
Linda Bagby
organize the
office. We can
get through now.
Awesome!
Please refer to pages 113-114 of the 2016 directory
under General Membership. Thank you for your cooperation.
Saturday Night Pot Luck was lightly attended. Some
members stayed inside while others stayed in the
screened porch and the patio. Thanks to all who helped
setting it up and for cleaning afterwards. Photos on
page 15.
Until next time, Fair Winds
As always, many
thanks for your
efforts and care.
Photos courtesy of Matt Maloy
10
Fleet Captain Report
Submitted by Don Rogers
We currently have 20 vacant wet slips and 3 empty
dry slips. I am not sure what to recommend to the
members or the board, but we really need to try to
fill the empty slips. The city currently has no empty
30 foot slips and will soon be wanting to use our
empty slips. We may need to start paying for them
or expect to find non-members in our marina area
in the very near future. I urgently ask any member that has their boat in the municipal marina to
consider moving back to the BCYC basin. It will
definitely be in the club’s best interest to do so.
On the last work day we removed all the dry
storage area dock boxes. They were in very bad
condition and were no longer serving any good
purpose. We did remove some dink engines that
are now stored and locked on one of the dinghy
racks. The owners of these engines did not have
them marked/ labeled with their name & contact
information. If you own one of these said engines
please contact me to get them un-locked. Please
remember that all dinghies and engines are supposed to be properly identified. It would help
tremendously if everyone would follow the club’s
rules and properly label your dink and motor. We
will build dink motor racks during the August work
day. If one of these motors is yours I expect that
you will be there to help. It’s definitely in your best
interest.
11
Expandacraft
Designer/Manufacturer
Wesley Stevenson of Gulfport
BCYC Member
813-810-2554
Modular boats that change to fit your needs &
store away in small spaces.
Sail, Row, Pedal, Paddle or Power
12 ft Expandacraft fits in a RAV 4
This month’s featured craft:
The 16’9” Expandacraft wide glide. Set up with
a trolling motor in front and a foot controlled
rudder in back for hands free fishing and a tight
turning radius. It’s so stable, you can do the
jitterbug on deck without fear of capsize. Break it
down and store it below deck, in a hatchback or
closet. Expandacraft options are only limited to
your imagination. Buy a complete boat or just the
hulls and build your own creation.
Visit our website to see just how many ways
you can use Expandacraft modular hulls and
other components.
www.expandacraft.com
12
Support our advertisers. Tell them you saw them in the Windword!
Across the Top of Bell
By Bruce Bingham
In January of 1976, I found At Last in the middle of
the Annasquam River at Gloucester, Massachusetts,
held captive by 9-inches of hard snow-covered ice. I
bought her the very next day, and within six weeks,
Katy and I had moved aboard.
Katy had been a naval architect for the Columbia
Yacht Corporation
in Los Angeles, and
joined my office
in Santa Barbara
about a year before. That’s another
story.
The Spring and
early summer of
that year was hot
and exhausting.
Every day was filled
with back-breaking
work to transform
At Last, a miniature
Grand Banks fishing
schooner, into a
live-aboard cruiser.
She was rough,
had no engine, no
head, no galley, no
electrical system,
no batteries, no
lighting, not much
of anything except
for her photogenic
personality, awesome sailing performance, and low
price tag. She had been designed in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, and built in Gloucester, Massachusetts by a
man in his late 20s who had already built two other
boats.
During those first four months, we cruised the coast
of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine as far
north as Camden. We made our temporary home
port in Hyannis Harbor, MA on the south shore of
Cape Cod and planned on spending time at Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. We found Hyannis Harbor
to be of soft bottom and bad holding in a blow. So,
we kept our eyes open for better refuge in case we
had to make a run for it.
Cruising Vineyard and Nantucket Sound was fabulous
except for the furious tidal currents. Many afternoons,
we were forced to drop anchor to prevent being swept
into the Atlantic in one direction or Buzzard’s Bay in
the other. It was often a crap shoot since we were
powerless.
On August 7, 1976, a storm that had been brewing off
the Georgia coastline was named Hurricane Bell. Immediately, Katy and I began making plans to escape
Hyannis, but Bell had not developed a track as yet, so
we had to sit tight until there was a relatively accurate
prediction of where she might head. In hindsight,
we should have run for cover the very next day with
our preference being to hunker down in Block Island
harbor. We did take on water, groceries, kerosene for
lamps and running lights, and a second large hand
bilge pump.
By August 8, a predicted track was published showing
Bell to be heading for the center of Long Island. That
would put the storm to the west of us in Hyannis and
in the “danger semi-circle” of the storm. We decided to
Across the Top of Bell, continued page 14 >>
13
Across the Top of Bell
<< continued from page 13
get “the hell out of Dodge” and make a run for Newport, Rhode Island, over a full day’s sail away under
the best conditions, but more like 36 hours to be realistic. By noon, we had pulled anchor and headed into
Vineyard Sound with a brisk beam reach and making
better than 8 knots through the water. Unfortunately,
we were immediately faced with a two-knot current
right on the nose as soon as we steered westward.
By sunset, the wind had increased to 20-24 knots and
we were roaring along at ten knots and better. We
had not reefed and At Last did not seem overpowered. But we were concerned for the Trinka dinghy
being towed astern. With the spotlight, we could
see a solid fountain of water shooting up through
the centerboard trunk and water cascading over the
dinghy’s transom. She seemed to be handling the sea
well and we were confident that the double-bridled
towing painters would hold.
By 2100, the wind hat increased to 25 knots with savage gusts much above that. At Last was often sailing
above 12 knots and occasionally surfing over 13. We
began seeing lightning to the south and that was
scaring the hell out of us, but except for Cutty Hunk
Island, we had already passed opportunities to take
refuge. We boiled into Buzzards Bay by 2200 and were
met by huge breaking waves coming in from the
Atlantic, but At Last was riding well in this big stuff.
We decided to drop the fores’lto keep At Last on her
feet, and the boat didn’t slow down a bit. Katy and I
hunkered down on the trans deck between the cabins
and just forward of the main mast. At Last continued
to steer herself like a proper lady through the rest of
the night.
Sustained winds that night grew to perhaps 40 knots
with much higher gusts, and the seas became frightenly nasty, with almost every wave tossing solid water
completely over the boat. Katy and I had wrapped
ourselves with a canvas tarp and stayed as dry as
could be expected. There was no sleep. My black lab,
Sabrina, stayed below and had no interest in coming topside. By 0300, we could see the lights on the
Rhode Island shoreline between squalls, and the loom
of the Brenton Tower near the mouth of Narragansett Bay. We had not had to touch the tiller the entire
night.
14
We entered Narragansett Bay just as it was beginning
to lighten with oncoming dawn. But it didn’t get much
brighter during the day. It was pouring rain that hurt
when it hit our faces and bare hands. The seas abated
as soon as we cleared Point Judith and passed Castle
Hill. In the smoother water, At Last increased her speed
and was able to sustain almost 14 knots as we sped
northward on a broad reach up the channel to Newport. We didn’t dare ease sheets onto a run for fear of
jibing that could rip the masts out of the boat. This
worked well until we reached Fort Adams Point that
marked the entrance to Newport Harbor.
There were hundreds of boats anchored from shore
to shore. All feathered into the wind and as tightly
packed as I have ever seen in a harbor. We rounded up
and dropped the heads’ls and main, depending on our
ability to sail under control with just the fores’l. At Last
never lost steerage for even a second.
We headed upwind into the cove behind Fort Adams.
I had anchored there often and knew that there was
sufficient holding ground for what might lay in store
for us. Once tucked in, we dropped out yachtsmen’s
anchor, all of its chain and about sixty feet of 1-inch
nylon rode. The anchor dug in just as At Last had
turned downwind. A second anchor would be rowed
out later that morning. At daylight, I bailed the dinghy
and rowed Katy and Sabrina ashore for a walk and
doggy duties. All of us wobbled on our rubbery legs
and very tired bodies. It was August 10.
The eye of Hurricane Bell passed about 60 miles west
of us during that morning. Winds peaked in Newport
at around 60 mph with higher gusts and took out a lot
of trees. Many, if not most, of the boats anchored in
the main harbor dragged on their anchors and fouled
each other. By afternoon, the place was a mess. But
the boats that had anchored in the lee of Fort Adams
stayed put and suffered no damage. Katy, Sabrina, and
I slept all of that day and much of the night, occasionally listening to weather reports, and being thankful
that we had made the trip from Hyannis when we did,
and had made it safely into port. After landfall, Bell
roared northward into New York State and western
Massachusetts, then petered out in Ontario, Canada.
We stayed in Newport for a few days, then returned
to Vineyard Sound and Hyannis and its islands for the
rest of the summer. Our brush with Bell was as close
as I ever want to be to any other hurricane, but I have
had many closer calls since … but never in a wooden
schooner.
Jenga
Champs
at the
Covered Dish
Photos courtesy of Joye Swisher
15
Pirates of the Stinging Kind
Board HideAway
passed as I hung there looking much like a gecko I’ve
seen in a similar position but without the certainty of a
good outcome. Eventually I righted myself, descended
the ladder, (this time in a manner suggested by the
manufacturer) then developed a plan to retake my ship
As with most summer days in these parts, the end
of the refit day brought the threat of storms capable
of dropping huge amounts of rain in a short time.
Before debarking the trailer mounted HideAway I’ve
developed the habit of checking the cockpit drains.
A Water Borne Attempt Seemed Fitting
From SV HideAway blogspot.com by Matt Maloy
A nice feature on HideAway, a Com Pac 23, is the cover
over the fuel tank and the scuppers. The sturdy "L"
shaped fiberglass cover/seat does not extend to the
cockpit sole to allow water to flow under it and the fuel
tank.
Removing the cover is a two
handed affair leaving one without
an immediate view of its underside
and what might be lurking there.
My concern over clogged scuppers
veiled the existence of pirates!
I approached from the starboard side, climbed up the
trailer and hanging with one arm around the winch, let
loose with a blast from my garden hose set at maximum
pressure.
It Didn’t Help.
I ran to the port side and up the ladder boarding the
boat without stopping. I managed to reduce their fort,
ok, nest, to the consistency of a wet sponge. Without
thinking about its potential occupants, I reached down,
grabbed the nest and
threw it overboard.
My neighbor, who was
riding about on his
lawn mower, seemed as
enthused as myself about
the accomplishment, but
upon reflection, probably
not for the same reason.
A swarm of angry wasps that
clearly had taken over the boat flew
around my face first then formed a
sort of dry water spout of swirling
wasps.
The HideAway Was Mine!
The rational brain deduced
that this would be a good
time to wash down the
entire deck.
The Human Brain Is A Funny
Thing.
It has a mechanism for such
threatening events going back
to the beginning of humankind.
Popularly known as the “fight or
flight” response or scientifically,
the Autonomic Nervous System.
Turns out the ANS is not connected
in any way to the rational thought process. It exists
to only protect the brain and associated accessories
from eminent danger. The ANS determined the best
response to the Pirate Wasps was to leave the boat
immediately, which apparently meant head first down
an eight foot ladder.
Fortunately, my left leg would hear nothing of this
and grabbed the life line while the rational brain was
contemplating the relative density of the increasingly
closer mother earth. A long uncertain moment
16
A mindless task to be
sure, seasoned only by
the sensation of a half
drowned wasp crawling
up my bare leg.
Habits Are Good Things
One of my best and what saved me this day was tying
off the ladder to the stern cleat. Had I not done so the
result surely would have been more serious than the
purple bruise going from my knee to a place you don’t
want to visualize.
Other Good News-Life Lines Actually Work!
SMALL BOATS ROCK!
View this newsletter in full color online at www.sailbcyc.org
Our New Signs … Lookin' Good!
17
BCYC Makes a Splash in the Gulfport July 4th Parade
Our theme was "Christmas in July", and we used the
opportunity to thank all of our sponsors for the 2015
boat parade as well as our Windword advertisers. Thanks
to Russ Matter for his rocking sailboat costumes, to Jenn
Buckley for the idea and her tireless help, and to all the
elves who pitched in to make it a success!
Genius at work
Photos courtesy of Joye Swisher and Judy Trehy
18
19
Waterway Watch
(This data is described as "real time," and the page
updates every minute, but FWIW the data itself is about
8 minutes old.)
1) Please be advised of a submerged 38' power boat
located about 100 yards off of Green marker #1 near
the channel entrance to PYCC in Boca Ciega Bay.
PORTS text data:
Submitted by Dan Chestnut
The submerged vessel is lying to the East (towards Gulfport) in 8' of water and barely visible. This is a navigation hazard that could affect all boat operators, including use of club owned Catalina 16.5's.
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports/textscreen.
shtml?port=tb
PORTS graph data:
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports/index.
html?port=tb
While the vessel is now partly visible, sunken vessels
tend to settle lower over time and become harder to see.
On the interactive map, select
"Egmont Channel Entrance."
2) Shoaling Report: Longboat Pass (Anna Maria Island)
When the new page opens, I suggest selecting "Composite" for the best display. From the map are other
sources of data related to boating conditions in our
area you may wish to explore.
Longboat Pass appears to be completely shoaled over
at a point just inshore the Longboat MOA. Temporary
channel marker buoys are in place, but they appear to
already be out of date and misleading. (This information thanks to club members Craig and Sue Smith, who
took some soundings recently in this area.)
My own view of the 2016 Google satellite images also
show complete shoaling at Longboat Pass, as well as at
New Pass further south.
According to local information, passage might be possible by going south of the red markers, outside the
channel markers. Exercise caution.
3) Useful Wave Data Buoy now available for Tampa Bay
Entrance
The website "tidesandcurrents" has been providing
near-real time boating conditions on Tampa Bay for
years, originally intended for ship pilots navigating the
Tampa Bay ship channel. Much of this data duplicates
info you already have if you're using SailFlow for current
weather conditions.
However, they recently added current wave conditions
at the entrance of the Egmont Ship channel, a few miles
offshore Egmont Key. This is the first time real time
wave data has been available.
These wave conditions could be useful safety data for
anyone piloting their boat into the Gulf or across lower
Tampa Bay.
As always, the Sailflow website's "Wind Observations &
Forecasts" page is one of the premier source of current
winds by viewing key stations in the area in just seconds.
Don Can Fix It!
Yes he can!
Home Maintenance
and “Fixes”
From Furniture Assembly
to Hauling; from
Pressure Washing to
Yard Work
Let us whittle
down your “Honey Do” List
Need it fixed? Give us a call!
Phone: 727-688-3946
Email: [email protected]
On the web at: www.doncanfixit.com
Here are the websites.
Don Rogers | BCYC Member
PORTS = Physical Oceanographic Real Time System
SV Sanity Clause Lic #12-00032846
20
July Racing Report
in the mix, up front, all day. New members Margie and
Susan sailed a Capri 16.5.
BCYC PHRF Summer/Fall Sunday Racing Series
July 17, 2016 – Preliminary Results
Back at the Club, racers had adult beverages and resailed the races. Kind of funny that the “re-sailed” races
on the hard, are faster, each time they are discussed!
Submitted by Garth Reynolds, Racing Chair
Skipper’s Meeting was
held at 12:00 PM in the
Club House. Weather
consisted of sunny to
partly cloudy skies,
warm temperatures
with 10 skippers with
crew and boats ready
to race.
BCYC stands for “Better Competition Yacht Club”.
Are we going fast yet?
See you next time, August 21, 2016. Color commentary
for this article provided by Mark Rother.
Thank you Mark.
Overall for Races 2 and 1:
Line Honors:
PHRF A: James Masson: Ericson 35 (Calypso)
PHRF B: Garth Reynolds: Beneteau First 235 (Vive)
PHRF C: Dave Roberts: Catalina 310 (Legacy)
Race 2:
With fluky winds, Steve Honour, “Super Race Committee”, set a pin-end favored line. To add excitement,
there was an anchored powerboat about 100 feet from
the starboard approach. I don’t think that boat will try
that again, as they found themselves in the middle of a
bunch of sailboats jockeying for position at the starts.
Line Honors:
PHRF A: James Masson: Ericson 35 (Calypso)
When someone complained, Steve rightly responded,
“deal with it”. If you cannot avoid an anchored boat,
how are you going to avoid another racer?
Race 1:
Line Honors:
PHRF A: James Masson: Ericson 35 (Calypso)
Wind was out of the E
at 6 knots with gust to 12 knots. Course was triangular,
with a windward leeward finish (1, 2, 3, 1, and 3).
The only thing hotter than the temperature was the
competition for the first day of the Summer/Fall PHRF
Series.
James Masson, with his usual astuteness, port tacked
Calypso over the whole fleet. James and his crew Dave
went on to win from wire to wire. I have seen this move
before!
PHRF B: Garth Reynolds: Beneteau First 235 (Vive)
PHRF C: Dave Roberts Catalina 310 (Legacy)
PHRF B: Doug Fuller: Capri 22 (Seaduceme)
PHRF C: Dave Roberts Catalina 310 (Legacy)
We had a good turnout for the July 17 event. Team Vive
battled Seaduceme to split the two races. The finish
of Race 2 had Seduceme, Seahawk and Vive finishing within 5 seconds of each other. Talk about close
finishes!
Our thanks to Steve Honor and his crew for their excellent Race Committee work.
Team Godzilla got back to form with two 2nd place finishes. Commodore Rich Walters picked up last minute
crew, Susan Starr, to sail with. Davie Limey Roberts was
Respectfully submitted,
Race Committee
A special thanks to Susan Starr for tabulating the race
results for Races 1 and 2.
21
From the Desk of Your Flag Officer
Submitted by Tony Angel
In early June a tropical depression swept in and we all
put on our double lines and wrapped the main with
line. As the wind picked up and the storm tide brought
water up and over the docks and piers we
left the boats to weather the
night.
A couple of
stalwart
sailors returned
to climb up on boats to
adjust lines around the marina. John
McLeod was one of those and after a tour of
the docks he grabbed the shrouds of INVICTUS and
pulled himself up on deck. On his way to the cabin he
caught his foot and flipped over the lines, striking the
dock on his way to the water.
Getting back on the dock wasn’t hard with water over
the finger pier, but he found that he only had one leg
working. Crawling back on deck and into the V-Berth to
find his phone took a major effort. The phone call got
him a ride to Palms of Pasadena and they put two pins
in his cracked hip.
Well, after a month of therapy Captain
McLeod
is back
in good
spirits and deserving of a Diving Flag
and a Good Ship Lollipop for trying to watch out for his neighbors' boats.
Thank you John
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Happy Hour 3-6pm • Early Bird 3-5:30
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Daily Lunch and Dinner Specials
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(727) 623-4823
www.neptunegrillgulfport.com
22
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DO THEY LOOK FAMILIAR?
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shorts and T-shirts, about
they clean up well and
helping you with your
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Each office is independently owned and operated
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23
Boca Ciega Yacht Club & Anchorage
4600 Tifton Drive South
Gulfport, FL 33711
727-321-7295
www.sailbcyc.org
www.facebook.com/SailBCYC
Tifton Drive S.
Map Courtesy of Mike McGrail, Anchors Away Graphics
July 4th Sunset in Gulfport | Photo courtesy of Joye Swisher
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