Sunday February 3rd
Superbowl Sunday

February 9-10
Ballena Bay Cruise

Saturday February 16th
Ladies Luncheon

Saturday February 23rd
Crab and Pasta Feed
 

 Club Calendar

click above for racing

Contents

Commodore's Report

Harbor View

Social Committee

Education

Harbor Reconfiguration Project Update

Notes from the Cruise Chair

COMMODORE’S REPORT

Thanks to an enormous effort by Len Cardoza and Terry Keefe, the last (known) barrier to our Harbor Reconfiguration Project has been overcome; we have received our permit from the City of Alameda. For additional details, please read Len Cardoza’s article in this issue of SeaScape, and if you see either Len or Terry at the Club, please buy them (and their entire family) a drink at the bar. This project started over two years ago when the general membership approved the reconfiguration of our harbor; the end may finally be in sight. Over the past two years so many people have contributed directly to the success of this effort that it’s impossible to individually name each of them in this article; but the entire OYC membership owes a huge THANK YOU to each of them. The task is not finished yet and many of you will still need to be involved by moving your boats as requested by Craig Wong; but the acquisition of this last regulatory permit was a key objective.

I have asked Marilee Shaffer, our Treasurer, to Chair a Commodore’s Committee with a Charter of determining the best long term solution for our cash reserve problems. Typical to any project like this, I have no doubt that we’ll soon be hearing rumors like …. “For us to avoid all fees increasing by 1000%, we must immediately begin sacrificing virgins into the nearest volcano.” Please don’t believe any rumors until a final solution has been approved by your Board of Directors. If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call or catch me at the Club. There will be further articles on this subject in subsequent issues of SeaScape.

Our Club's winter racing program started in January and not nearly enough of you joined in the fun. No one will expect you to be an expert; our winter racing is an opportunity to attend seminars related to sailing, to get your boat out on the water, to learn a few tricks on how to improve your sail handling skills, and to get together with some other sailors in the Club House after the race. All of these things, plus the competition, make it the best way that I know to spend a Sunday afternoon. If you are not comfortable racing your own boat yet, volunteer to help the Race Committee or ask to be someone’s crew for a race or two. If one of your goals is to learn more about how to sail well, this is by far the best and fastest way to do it.

If you missed the Mardi Gras Party on the 27^th, you missed a good time, some great food, some wonderful music, and the company of some great people. Our new Social Committee (Toni Lyman & Inez Pandolfi) did an excellent job of putting this party together and I’m looking forward to whatever they’re planning to do next.

And one last thought, please don’t forget that your Board of Directors meets at 7:00pm on the third Thursday of each month (except August) and your attendance is always welcome.

Have a safe and healthy month,

Mike.

One thing led to another . . .

That phrase often crops up around our house as a way of explaining something without going into all the details. For example, we bought our first boat back in about 1978. It happened this way. We were having dinner with a group of friends when the guy Marilyn was sitting next to says, “I saw a sailboat advertised in the Sacramento Bee last night that you and Bill should look at.” I really did not have boat on my mind. Marilyn probably did. In any case, one thing led to another and we ended up buying an Aquarius 23, a swing keel sloop. In this instance, the one thing or another covered a lot of ground, including pulling the boat back from Clear Lake on an old, rusty trailer that had no brakes.

The phrase sometimes opens the possibility of avoiding further incrimination. It came in handy yesterday. I got home about 5 p.m. As I walked in the door, I heard Marilyn say, “You’re in trouble.” Naturally, I thought she was talking to the dog. Wrong. I was supposed to be home for an early dinner at 4 o’clock. “Why weren’t you here?” she asked, showing remarkable patience. Well, says I, “I got to talking to some guys at the gym and one thing led to another.” That non-explanation softened my bride’s wrath a little, but not completely . . . and, I am not going to say any more about it here.

So, what does the phrase have to do with education at the OYC? The connection takes a little explaining. Last month we had a great session on getting ready to go blue water sailing. Billed as a conversation with a couple of cruisers, it featured OYC members Jim Jessie and Paul Cahill. Jim, with thousands of nautical miles under his keel and a couple of circumnavigations, shared his experiences. Paul, who has been preparing to leave for the last year or so, talked about what he has been doing to get ready. About two-dozen people attended the program. Some of those folks are planning to make an extended cruise. Others, like Bob Paulsen and me, just came for the show. (Bob took the photos accompanying this article.)

A good show it was. In addition to the extended cruising that he and Diana have done, Jim is a long-time boat surveyor and a former boat yard owner. He has a well-deserved reputation for knowing what he is talking about. Paul also knows what he is talking about when it comes to getting ready. He has been doing it! Some of it with Jim’s help and advice . . . and all of it with the clear awareness that those preparations will have a huge impact on the safety, comfort and enjoyment his crew (Tamar and Dustin) and himself. As an added benefit for attendees, Paul is a retired communications professor so he put together some eye-catching graphics for the session.

The two of them provided a lot of very useful information in the Regatta Room, then took the group down to the guest dock where Paul had his boat, Xanadu, side-tied. He and Jim continued the session there, pointing out the reasons for the various additions and modifications. Sometime near the end of the program, Jim suggested that Diana might be willing to do a session on cruising for women. Muggs Zabel immediately said that would be a great idea, and several others concurred.

Well, one thing led to another and, by golly, Diana is willing to do it. It will happen on Saturday, March 15^th, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, in the Regatta Room. This will be a great session. Diana has had incredible experiences as a sailor. She also is an accomplished writer, with several books to her credit. Last year, her publisher released a second edition of The Cruising Woman’s Advisor: How to Prepare for the Voyaging Life. In addition, she makes a lot of presentations. She was in Seattle recently to talk at the boat show there. In the next issue, we will tell you more about the program Diana will give in March. In the meantime, jot the date down in your calendars.

There are some other possible programs in the hopper for this spring. We will announce these as the plans firm up.

I have been asked to write this month about Cruising Etiquette. All you ‘old salts’ and longtime OYC Cruise Out People skip this, BUT all of the folks new to cruise outs or the winners of the Rusty Shackle Award (Or those of you who SHOULD have won the Rusty Shackle Award) please continue reading.

There are many reference books to cruise etiquette-Chapman’s for instance but I like to refer to the rules my mother taught me about attending parties as a child. Three main rules 1) stand up straight, 2) act nice 3) get invited back. When you attend a cruise out

1) stand proud at the helm-fly your OYC burgee, have plenty of clean fenders at the ready, have enough clean long lines for handling your boat while docking and securing the vessel at the ready, call ahead to the cruise out committee-ask where they want you, enter the harbor slowly---no WAKE, upon arriving check in with host club and pay fees. Act like your proud to be a member of OYC the friendliest club in the Bay area.

2) Act nice-remember you are a guest at another club representing OYC-the friendliest club in San Francisco Bay. Be respectful of the Host club and their members, visit their bar and patronize it, follow the directions of the Cruise out Committee, if your going to be late to the cruise make arrangements with the committee --if last minute plans change and you can‘t attend-try and get word somehow to the committee so they are not wondering/waiting/worrying about you (they have a life too), respect your neighbors--ask permission to cross their vessel if rafted up together-don’t wear dark/dirty shoes that will make marks on their vessel-don’t allow children/pets on other vessels without permission-don’t step or spill things on their cushions or vessel-don’t make a lot of noise to keep others awake (you get the idea--treat others as you want to be treated--the be nice part). Help others
3) Get invited back--more of the do onto others as you want done to you-be a good “guest” Help others get away from the dock and leave when it is your “turn”. If you need to leave early or want to leave late--make prior arrangements with the cruise committee, thank the host club, thank the Cruise Out Committee. Leave no wake. Make the Host club sorry your leaving and be sure they ask you to come back. Volunteer to help next cruise.

See you on the water.

Roxanne Grona, Cruise Chairman

(see the cruise schedule)

Social Report February 2008

February greetings from the social chairs…………………
Mardi Gras was a hit; We did not have the brass band, but literally everyone was up and on their feet and participating in the “Second Line” 

The masks, boas, beads and headgear worn by our members were fun, colorful and very creative.  The food created by Chef Kris was wildly appreciated, shrimp, crawfish, (Yes, they were definitely alive), mussels, clams and sausage.  No one went away hungry.  My favorite was the red beans and rice.   One member found one of the baby's in the King Cake, so a year of good luck will be bestowed upon that person.  Kudos to Elaine and her staff for all of their help.

Perhaps next year we can schedule this event just a little bit closer to “Fat Tuesday”

Fun events to look forward to this spring, start marking your calendars.

Super Bowl on February 3rd

OYC Crab feed on February 23; this event fills quickly, so sign up early.

The “Spring Fling” on March 22……………..
This will be a special family event, so please invite and include your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  It will be our first annual OYC hunt for all ages. Beginning at 4:00PM, the children will be coloring Easter egg's.  The eggs will be refrigerated overnight and then the next day we will start the Easter egg hunt between 10:00 and 10:30AM.    Special filled eggs will be provided, as well.  
And Prizes For All

A delicious menu has been planned by Chef Kris for the Spring Fling Event Saturday evening:

Special Children's menu includes OYC Mac and Cheese, Caesar salad, and garlic bread.  

For the Adults we will have a special spring menu, including choices of

Roasted Rack of Spring Lamb with roasted garlic and rosemary au jus or
Pan seared Duck Breast with cranberries & cassis or
Local English sole with brown butter & caper sauce or
Spring vegetable risotto with spring onions, green garlic and asparagus.
 A baby spinach salad with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts & balsamic vinaigrette coupled with Flourless chocolate cake with Chantilly Cream makes this a menu to chase away the winter doldrums.
Costs will be $10.00 for Children and $35.00 for adults. 
See you in the March Seascape....................
THINK SPRING!!!!!    THINK SPRING FLING!!!!!

Your party and event planners

Events in Red below require reservations. 

see the entire calendar

Oakland Yacht Club Harbor Reconfiguration Project Update

Len Cardoza January 25th, 2008

It is my pleasure to report on progress on the project to reconfigure Docks 5, 6, and 7. Western Dock Enterprises is the general contractor. This is the first phase of a larger project to reconfigure the harbor for increased safety and efficiency. The goal of the project is maximum utilization of OYC harbor property. The reconfiguration will result in fewer small berths and additional larger berths to match member demographics and accommodate vessels currently on the waiting list.

City of Alameda Permit. The City of Alameda permit has been approved, acquired, and is on file at OYC!

Commodore Jackson, Len Cardoza, Craig Wong, and Brent Gill met with the contractor on January 23, 2008 for a pre-construction conference. The attendees reviewed the City of Alameda permit documents, drawings, and the general scope of work. We also reviewed the proposed work schedule for the project and discussed construction sequencing, methodology, safety, security, electrical, quality control / assurance, and other aspects of the project. Finally, the meeting participants conducted a walk through of the project area. Following are key schedule milestones (subject to change due to the weather and other issues not under our control):

Schedule (to be posted at the OYC bulletin Board)

2/4/08 – Mobilization

2/5-12/08 – Install Dock 5 fingers / piles

2/12-25/08 – Pull piles from Dock 7, move dock, and install new piles

2/18-29/08 – Install electrical Upgrade, Dock 7 walkway extension

3/3-17/08 - Pull piles from Dock 6, move dock, and install new piles

3/14-24/08 - Install electrical Upgrade & fingers, Dock 6

3/24-31/08 – Final punch list, project acceptance, de-mobilization

The contractor is nearly complete working on the project elements that can be done at its corporate yard. The steel piles have arrived, coated with protective sealant, and are stored at the contractor’s yard. The contractor continues work on constructing the new finger piers. Next steps for the Reconfiguration Project include obtaining a revised cost estimate for the additional electrical work required by the City of Alameda (generally, replacing the low electrical pedestals on the docks to be moved with higher ones). Craig Wong and the Harbor Committee are finalizing the plan for the temporary relocation of OYC vessels impacted by the Project. Please watch for updates on the Club’s bulletin board!

Nancy Schimmelman 
Subject: changed price for class

When I placed the ad for the BCN/ACN class in Latitude 38 for next month, I dropped the price to $120 to make it easier to price things for students who only want to take the BCN portion of the course instead of both BCN/ACN

Ladies Luncheon

PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR!

SATURDAY February 16th
11:00 – 3:00 PM

 

ATTN LADIES! You’re invited!

LADIES LUNCHEON FEB. 16^TH

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Ladies – put this date on your calendar, and join us for our annual fund raising luncheon on Saturday February 16, 2008.

Enjoy a lovely lunch, raffle with really great prizes, jewelry vendors, and a guest speaker who will present a slide show and speak on the subject of “Plants for Summer-Dry Landscapes”, which perfectly describes our Bay Area. Learn about plant communities, drought tolerant plants, micro-climates of the Bay Area and how to “garden where you are”. This will be an informative and interesting session

The proceeds from this annual event benefit our club directly as evidenced by the new paint, countertop and fixtures in the women’s restroom and we have other projects yet to complete.

So bring your mom and girlfriends for a fun afternoon and support this event.

We’ll see you there. The price is $16.50 per person.

Sign up at the club or on-line.

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AN OPENING.

If You Would Like To Be Involved In Your Club's Leadership This Is A Great Opportunity.

The Membership Chair Position Is Open and Is One Of The Most Important Functions On Your Board.

If You Are Interested Please Contact Mike Jackson via E-Mail at Rmjhm@Comcast.Net

IS YOUR BOAT READY FOR SPRING?

DO YOU NEED TO REPLACE SOME GEAR?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE SOME MONEY?

MARCH 8^TH

IS

OYC NIGHT AT SVENDSEN’S

WITH DEEP DISCOUNTS.

DON’T MISS IT!!

.