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Hello Everyone,
I would like to correct myself from last week. I want to welcome new members Michael and Shannon Doane. They are the new owners of Glenn’s boat a Catalina 25 on C-dock. Greg and Elaine do not have a boat as of yet. Also like to congratulate Rich and Bobette the proud new parents of 15 chicks. They stayed home to take care of their new environmental pest control. The update on C-dock is that the divers are supposed to go down this week and fix the 3 cables. IF this all goes without a hitch, we will be able to return to your slips. I will let you know for sure later this week. The good thing is we did have water this weekend. Some of our sailors made it up to the lake on Friday. The winds were a steady 10-15 knots and boats were making it down to the dam in 1 hour time. The day was great with low humidity and that great breeze. In the evening it was pleasant with the cooling temperatures. Somewhere around 9:30 PM there was a little squall that came through. During the night the winds did pick up for a while and there was lightening and a bit of rain. Saturday the day was clear and the winds were still up and no humidity. You couldn’t ask for a better combination. After several boats did projects in the morning, people headed out to enjoy the wind and have a sail. It was a downwind run to the dam. We had quite a fleet head out. The winds was changeable especially as you headed up to Big Island and the Dam. Winds would be anywhere from 5-8 knots then build to 10-12 knots then we would have gusts to 20 knots. Most boats after heading to the dam turned and sailed back to Clambake Cove. We had a hell of a sail. Several boats started to reef in the sails on the way back. I know we had a window washing going on. At one point we were playing loop-de-loop. We rounded up and could not get back on tack. Clambake Cove started to fill up. There was one powerboat there and all of the sudden there were 12 boats in the cove. We set up the volleyball net. Since the water was still high, we had less court to play on. Several sailors went into the woods to gather firewood for the evening. We had a man on a mission to gather the biggest pile ever. Chesley and Steve dug a pit and set up the kindling for the fire. With everything being so dry, they didn’t even need paper to get it to burn. We played our first game at 6 PM. We had a challenge. 2 teams of 4. Team Thanos had a slight disadvantage as they were looking into the sun. It was an intense game. Lots of good volleys but in the end, Team Steve won. The group had a beer and swim break. At 7 PM there was a re-match as the teams switched sides. Team Thanos took an early lead then Team Steve caught up. With game point on the line, the net came crashing down. Draw!.. People then went to the campfire to start cooking. Several people went back to their boats to cook and eat then returned. Rhonda took a jet ski ride and came back with her new best friends Jim and Lynn from the powerboat on A-dock. They joined us for the evening of talking and laughing and enjoying a campfire. Several boats started to return to the marina for the night. We broke out the smore’s for dessert. Nothing like charred marshmallows squished between chocolate and graham crackers. By 10:30 PM people were returning to their boats for the evening. A good time was had by all. The temperature was comfortable and the low humidity made it great sleeping off power. Check out the photos for the Volleyball and Cook-out at the Steele Creek Yacht Club Facebook page ( Thanks Steve and Laura for the great pix’s). Sunday we woke to a little bit of clouds and a rising humidity. We went to shore to gather up our things and pack up the net. We had to get back to the marina to pick up some guests. Of course by the time we headed back out, the wind died. We motored up to the cove before Kimble Point hoping that there would be wind near Big Island, but that was not the case. So we anchored and went swimming. After about 2-3 hours, we started seeing several sailboats coming up the lake with sails up. By 3 PM, several boats were heading our way with their sails up so we pulled anchor hoping to have a good sail too. We decided to head back towards the marina. The sails were set for a downwind run. We were not making a lot of progress so we tried wing on wing. That helped a bit but then we decided to fly the spinnaker. It was a pretty sight but the winds were light and we were only doing 2.2 knots or less. We did this till about 5:30 PM then pulled in the sail and motored. During the day we noticed a sea plane flying overhead. Then watched as it landed on the lake and pulled up to one of our member’s sailboats. The plane was piloted by one of our sailors. Steve got some great shots of the plane taking off. Well back at the marina by 6PM. What a nice weekend. Ending the day by having dinner at Zerdo’s. This coming weekend is our July 4th celebration. On Saturday is the Vance County celebration at Satterwhite Point. They shoot off fireworks at 9 PM. The club usually goes down to a cove opposite Satterwhite Point to raft up and watch the fireworks. We will have a Captain’s meeting at 10:30 AM to see who is going to go to the raft-up. There is a lot of traffic on the water and we will be heading back to the marina at night. Please make sure that your anchor and running lights are working, you have life preservers for everyone on board, you have your fire extinguishers, air horn and flares for safety checks. This is one of the largest lake events and Wildlife, Coast Guard and Sheriff boats are out in full force waiting to ticket. This event works best if we raft up largest boats to smallest boats. We will need an anchor boat. We usually head down to Satterwhite by 5 PM, raft-up, swim, cook dinner, socialize and then watch the fireworks. When returning to the marina, we let the powerboats leave then start heading back. We usually return to the marina by 11 PM. Several boats will stay at anchor for the evening. Looking forward to a long and fun filled weekend. For those who will not be attending, have a great 4th of July, we will miss you. Hello Everyone,
Well I spoke too soon. One of the divers is sick and they need 2 to do the survey. They also need to change the cable at slips 45, 55 and 65. The plumber and electrician should be finished this week but the other stuff will not be done so no one will be able to move back this weekend. Anyway, a nice weekend of fun is planned so I hope to see you up at the lake. Hello Everyone,
I hope all our Dads had a wonderful Day yesterday. The update on C-dock is that the 4 slips have been removed. They have the finger pier bracing in, they have the cement anchors in place. They added a few more too. Today the divers were going to locate the other cement anchors and make sure they are in the right place. The plumber has to come and hook up the end of the dock and the electrician needs to finish the job at the end of the dock. Word is that everyone will be able to move back to their slips by this coming weekend. If that changes, I will let you know. I’d like to welcome new members Elaine Stem and Greg Young. They are the new owners of Glenn’s Catalina 25 on C-dock. This weekend was quiet up at the lake as far as our members are concerned. I am sure many of you had family events scheduled. On Saturday was the first day of the Governor’s Cup. Several of us went out to observe the event. There were 68 boats participating. It was fun looking at all the white sails on the horizon as you headed up to Henderson Point. They seemed to have some confusion on starting the race because of shifting winds. There was a 2.5 hour delay. I am sure tempers were high. At about 1 PM the winds picked up and the race was started. We picked up our sails and had a great sail. We hit 8.2 knots and heeled over so much that we found out later, we lost the prime for our air conditioning “weeeeee!!!!”. We stopped over to visit some friends at the UNC campgrounds. We saw several other members out enjoying the winds. At 6 PM, we headed back to the marina. The winds were good and we sailed back to the marina. We saw Tail Wind and Unplugged headed back to the docks too. That evening, we had cake up at the top of C-dock to celebrate Father’s Day. We were watching and waiting for a storm to hit. The winds increased but the fizzled out and we never got any rain. On Sunday several members were having guests on their boats. Several other members came up for a day sail. The Governor’s Cup races got off a little better on Sunday. The winds were continued to be good and our members had a nice sail. We had 7 on the boat so we didn’t want to be too aggressive. After sailing for and hour, we pulled up in front of UNC anchored, swam and enjoyed a Father’s Day barbeque. Tenacious rafted up with us. By 5 PM, it was time to pull up anchor and head back to the marina. What a nice weekend and a great Father’s Day. This coming Saturday is our Afternoon Beach Volleyball challenge and campfire cookout at Clambake Cove. Enjoy your day and come on over to Clambake at 4 PM (when it starts to cool off). We will set up the net and play a few games. You can swim or dinghy to the shore. At about 7 PM, we will start a campfire and everyone please bring your own food for cooking over the fire. Don’t forget drinks too. (Need to stay hydrated). We can sit around the campfire, listen to music and make smores. The club will provide the fixings for smores. Then you can decide if you want to stay overnight or head back to the marina. Have a great week and see you on Saturday. Hello Everyone,
The C-dock is scheduled to be repaired starting tomorrow. Please stay away from C-dock till Friday at this point. If anything changes, I will let you know. I would like to also welcome our newest members to the SCYC, Sue & Verne. They have a Catalina 34 on C-dock. It seems like summer is doing a jump start on us. We are having an unbelievable number of 90+ degree days and high humidity. We want to keep our sailors, their family and guests safe. Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke can happen even to the best of us. Please make sure that you have and drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeine drinks (water or Gatorade is best) while sailing or at the docks in the high temperatures. Make sure you are either under a bimini or have a hat or a way to get out of the sun. Start drinking before you are thirsty. I have copied some information from www.MayoClinic.com on these heat related topics : Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe. Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may come on suddenly or may develop after days of heat exposure. Possible heat exhaustion signs and symptoms include:
Young children, older adults, people who are obese and people born with an impaired ability to sweat are at high risk of heatstroke. Other risk factors include dehydration, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease and certain medications. What makes heatstroke severe and potentially life-threatening is that the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, are inadequate. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature — generally greater than 104 F (40 C) — with changes in mental status ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. Skin may be hot and dry — although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist. Other signs and symptoms may include:
Next weekend June 18th-19th there isn’t a club event. There is the Governor’s Cup at Henderson Point. Some of you may like to sail out and watch. There will be a cake on Saturday evening to honor our “Dads” . Our next club event is Saturday June 25th. It is a late afternoon Volleyball game at Clambake Cove with a campfire cookout. I will tell you more next week. Have a great week and Happy Father’s Day to all of our Dads. Hello Everyone,
Update on C-dock is that the 4 slips that were damaged will be removed and C-dock shortened. Four people have volunteered to move to other slips. We are hoping that the work will be done in the next 2 weeks. When the rigging company comes, NO ONE will be allowed on the dock while they are working. The main repairs should take 3 days. I will post when I know. Please be prepared to stay away during that time. It was a gorgeous Friday and Saturday at the lake. The weather was perfect in temperature and low humidity and light winds. Those who went out Friday afternoon had a nice sail. Those who went out on Saturday had some wind till the afternoon and of course when the wind dies, it’s time to anchor and swim. Sunday started with a storm at 5 AM then light rain at 8:30AM. It cleared up and ended up with a little more wind for a good sail and sunny and warm. Again if you listen to the forecast, you’ll never leave home. We ended up having some electrical problem while out but Mark was able to fix it while the fleet hovered near to make sure we did not need a tow. It was so nice out we stayed to have dinner then head home. Great weekend. This weekend we have several things happening. Friday night is Docktails. The theme is Margaritas. Bring the fixings for all different flavors. Rich of Chiang Mai and Cary of Wrenagade will set up. Start to gather after you come up around 8 PM or later. I hear there will be a Margarita machine there. On Saturday it’s the last of the Spring Races. Eddie of Tenacious will send an e-mail about that. Then on Saturday night, we will have a hot dog dinner. The club will provide the hot dogs, buns and condiments. Everyone will need to bring a side dish, dessert or appetizer. We will have this up at the Gazebo. I will need to get a head count so that I can get enough hot dogs for everyone. Please Respond. Look forward to seeing you. Hi Everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Friday started out with a terrible storm at about noon time. We delayed our departure to the lake because the storm was heading up to the lake. When we got there, I understand that C-dock broke again. Martha asked me to contact the club members to have boats that have slips in C-76 to the end needed to move their boats so that work can be done to repair the dock properly. People will be relocated for 2-3 weeks. Friday night we just talked about what was happening and people were trying to scope out a new temporary slip. On Saturday, people continued to come up and relocate their boats. At 10AM we had the Captain’s meeting and handed out flower petals for the “Blessing of the Fleet”. Rick Roundtree headed out to set up the wreath. David Hughes (Expedition), a vet, and his friend from NC Sail, Dave Reynolds was to lead the fleet past the wreath. At 11 AM Rick recited a beautiful “Blessing” giving thanks to our men and women in service and smooth sailing to all of our club members. Expedition had engine trouble and could not lead the fleet so M & M did. We had about 12 boats pile through. Then several boats returned to the marina, some went out for a day sail and nine boats headed up to Clarksville. The winds were light. Some people flew their spinnakers but the wind died out by the Big Island and most people motored up to Clarksville. We heard that Aquila had some issues and turned around to do repairs. The trip took about 3.5 to 4 hours. Even our new members Kat and Thomas on Skidoo (Capri 22) made it up to Clarksville. Cynosure, Brenda Gail and M&M did not want to chance going under the bridge so we anchored on the south side. Chiang Mai had trouble getting good anchorage and after 1 hour of trying, they gave up and headed back to the marina. Tenacious cautiously went under the bridge with Tail Wind and Unplugged monitoring the mast. Odyssey was already anchored. After about 1 hour, the winds changed coming from the south and spun us around. Brenda Gail pulled anchor and went into the cove on the other side of the bridge. By 5:45 PM we started to dinghy to the shore. Cynosure and M&M had a 20 minute dinghy ride from the other side of the bridge. We met on shore and then walked up to the Pizza Pub for dinner. Several people drove up from the marina. We had about 35 members join us. We had a pleasant meal and enjoyed talking with most of you. At 8 PM we headed back to the shore. We sat down on the lawn and talked some more before everyone departed in their dinghies. It was an uneventful night. (no storms). Several people got together for breakfast at the Lamplighter. It seems this year they had better service. By 11 AM, we were pulling anchor to head back. Tail Wind was going to stay out in a cove somewhere for another night. Odyssey headed out first. When Tenacious went under the bridge, Eddie said his VHF antennae touched the bridge. Brenda Gail, M&M and Tenacious followed one another back. Cynosure caught up by the powerlines. We heard Aquila on the radio they were up by the rock wall heading out to meet us. We then put up our sails but the wind was light. Tenacious then put their sails up not letting M&M get the better of her. Cynosure anchored by Gilligan’s Island for lunch and swimming. They were going to stay out another night. When we neared the Big Island cut through, the wind picked up. We had a nice sail down to Henderson Pt. At that point we headed to UNC to see some friends. Brenda Gail and Tenacious headed back to the marina. Several people were going to see “Pirates of the Caribbean” at the Henderson Drive-in. We had a nice group sitting on the dock talking and drinking near Whine Cooler. Chesley and Mel took Unplugged out for a night sail with Patricia and Dan. As the group broke up for the evening, I went below to watch a movie. On Monday, the sun was out bright as can be. We did a few projects and then got ready to go out. We wanted to try out our Spinnaker. We got the chute up but there wasn’t much wind. We saw Symphonia trying to sail then anchored at Hibernia for a swim. We motored up to Kimble Pt with Querida where we saw Tenacious and Wrenagade were have fun sailing. We then turned around and headed for Clambake Cove for a swim. Tenacious and Querida joined us. When we saw a little wind we pulled anchor and headed out for a sail. By the time we got into the main body of water, the wind died. I was too hot so we anchored again this time in front of Hibernia while the others went back to the marina. We came back to the dock at 5 PM. It was a great weekend both weather wise and spending it among friends. Hope everyone had a good time. Our next club event is the weekend of June 10th. Friday night is Docktails. This theme will be margaritas. Regular, strawberry, peach etc.. Saturday is the last of the spring races and Saturday night we will have a hot dog dinner. The club will provide the hot dogs and buns and Ketchup, mustard and relish We will need everyone to bring a side dish or dessert to round up the meal. I will see about having it up at the new Gazebo. I will need some kind of head count next week so we have enough hot dogs. Have a great 2 weeks. |
Thoughts from the Commodore
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December 2015
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