Winter 2004 Newsletter
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Petit Manan Yacht Club
Winter 2004 Newsletter |
I look forward to having all members attend our meetings as often as possible as the club exists to serve them. Our activities provide an opportunity for all members to interact directly with every other member. I welcome any comment or assistance to better serve and to improve our organization.
The PMYC will join US Sailing this year. There are multiple benefits such as reciprocity with other clubs and greater involvement in regional yacht races. Perhaps the immediate benefit of better coverage and cheaper insurance rates will save us several hundred dollars next year. We owe a debt to George Arey and Jack Ayers for pursuing this avenue and doing the necessary paper work.
George Arey has been named agent for the club for the purposes of filing state papers relative to our non-profit status.
Vice-Commodores Jane and Glenn Armstrong have made plans for the new year:
APRIL 24 (Saturday) Dr. Ray and Bev Nichols will host the first POTLUCK of 2004 at their home in Jonesport at 5:30 p.m. Directions
MAY 22 (Saturday) Jackie and Billy Majors will host our May POTLUCK at their home on Kansas Road, Milbridge at 5:30 p.m. Please call 546-9737 with your menu contributions. Jerry Shaffner will share some of his adventures from his sailing around the world. Directions
JUNE 26 (Saturday) Jerry Shaffner will host our June POTLUCK at his home at 7 Lobster Cove Lane, Steuben at 5:30 p.m. Diane Tilton will speak about the Water Sports Program and how our Sailing school works in that program. (Please call Jane Armstrong at 483-2375 with your menu contributions. She will help Jerry with organizing this part of the dinner party.) Directions
Be sure to checkout our website:
http://www.sunriseline.com/pmyc
If you haven't been there lately you'll find pictures from last winter as well as aerial pictures from this summer. Everyone with eMail should have gotten a short message on December 1st. If you didn't we must not have your correct e-Mail address, please be sure to send it to:
It's now possible to update our Member's Only section more frequently. Please check it out and send along any other updates. In case you forgot, to enter the Member's Only section you must use:
username: pmyc
password: potluck
(both are lower case). While you're in the neighborhood, also checkout www.cherryfield.US A new feature planned for next year is an on-line picture book ... it will help new members connect names and faces. There's already a small start ... we'll take more pictures at meetings next year and add them. Or if you have digital pictures, send them along.
-Wren McMains
The NARRAGUAGUS HIGH SCHOOL Program for all sophomores was held May 22 to 30 - 3 sessions for 40 students and in the Fall - September 7 to 11 - 3 sessions for 32 students. Almost without exception these students had never been in a sailboat and the program is a brief exposure to the pleasures and perils of sailing. A couple students refused to get in anything as dangerous as a sailboat but many were sailing without instructors in the boats by the third session.
The following is one of two thank you notes received from the High School staff:
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving our PE classes the opportunity to go sailing. This is a tremendous chance for our students to experience the thrill of sailing. Please pass on our Thanks to all those individual that made this possible. See you in the spring, Thanks, Tracy & Lynn
And those individuals are: Vicky Hampshire, Joanne Halpin, Will Halpin, Jack Ayers, Jamie & Tim Moorhouse, Don Hensler, Matt Nichols, Brady Fish, Craig Lewis, Joe Letourneau, Ray Roy, George Arey (the son), Christopher Arey (the grandson). They also contributed their talents to our beginners and the EDGE programs.
EDGE - Ed Greaves Education Program for elementary students in SAD37. This was to be a 2-week (June 23-July3) program for grade school students. We mounted our full crew instructors but the program was reduced in the end to 3 days in the second week.
Good weather prevailed for these days and we avoided the capsizes of the previous year when swimming was a necessary part of the program. There were no capsizes in the beginners programs but there were in the advanced program. The suspicion is that they were not accidental.
With 10 beginner students we had good luck with the weather and had 5 good days with instructors In all boats to start. By the end of the week most instructors just watched the fun from the chase boat or ashore. As the "class picture" shows the fun was not limited to the sailboats.
PMYC advanced program for teenagers who can rig boats & sail without assistance. One week July 28 to August 1. Alan & Kathleen Krulisch ran this program from the decks of their chase boat "Bingo" in their usual professional manner. Club volunteers manned the club chase boat "Millie", which by the way is a new addition, a gift to the club by Will & Joanne Halpin. This year the weather varied from very windy, mainsails only, to almost calm. But races were held no matter what the weather. On the windy day sailing in a boat half full of water was perfected and on the calm day there was a chance for extensive debate on racing rules. Next year there will be added emphasis on the rules as the racing becomes more competitive. One of our sailor/instructors, Craig Lewis, is now racing for Maine Maritime.
PMYC evening program - 5-7PM - 9 days selected when the tides are right We called it Wednesday night races on any day, but the program was a bust. Very uncooperative weather. Next year we'll try again.
PMYC - Learn to sail program for children over 9 yrs Monday-Friday, July 5-9, 2-4 PM.
PMYC - Advanced Program for teenagers who can rig and sail boats without assistance Monday-Friday July 19-23, 2-4 PM. This program will focus on racing and start education on racing rules. All participants will be given copies of the rules. Narraguagus High School Program for Sophomores In May and September NHS sophomores will be exposed to the fun of sailing in PMYC boats. This program depends on a group of fearless PMYC members willing to climb in boats with teenage sailors who have never sailed.
Evening Program For those teenagers or adults who would like evening or weekend sailing with supervision and chase boat assistance contact George Arey at 546-7491. On weekends tide allows sailing at some time during the day. Evening sailing (5-7 PM) is limited by tides.
The PMYC sailboats are a valuable resource available to all members, and it is important that all members feel free to sail the boats. But in the interest of safety multiple instructors & chase boats will supervise all Sailing School programs. For all other club sailing the following safety rules are suggested:
Even though the election of club officers took place at the annual lobster bake in August, it seems appropriate to print a list of the elected officers at the beginning of the new year. E-mail addresses are included. Because some of us live away in the winter, snail-mail addresses and phone numbers change depending on the time of year. The appropriate information can be obtained from the Club web page.
Our PMYC Officers are:
| Commodore: | Frank Taylor | eMail addresses |
| Vice Commodores: | Jane and Glenn Armstrong | |
| Treasurer: | Casey Graves | |
| Secretary: | Don Hensler | |
| Board members: | Jack Myles, Tim Moorhouse, Patricia Mudge and Mel Stephens. | |
| Other volunteer positions: | ||
| Agent: | George Arey | |
| Web Master: | Wren McMains | |
| Newsletter Editor: | Joanne Halpin | |
These are some of the folks who will be in touch with you offering opportunities to be involved in club activities with your fellow sailors as the season progresses. They would welcome hearing from you with program suggestions for the Club. -- Don Hensler, secretary
It is mid winter now, but many of the sailors I know are already looking to spring and outfitting for another year. I have already bought deck hardware for the Guillemot, and I will order a new sail bag for the jib and new lifelines. Outfitting is always a problem for all sailors since the sailing season is short. Many of us tend to become preoccupied during the summer with cruising plans and preparations. We have little patience with small details other than sailing details. I think most sailors get that way. Perhaps this is the reason PMYC has its fiscal year following the calendar year, while electing officers at the lobster bake and general meeting in August. Jack Ayres put it succinctly when he pointed out that dues were collected early in the year so the Club's finances were settled before the summer season begins. Clearly, we need to know where the Club stands financially early in the year. I certainly hope we can accomplish that this year, and therefore, I need your cooperation.
This year we would like to have memberships due upon the receipt of this newsletter. Memberships are $50.00 per family and $25.00 for single members. Make your checks payable to the Petit Manan Yacht Club and send them to:
Petit Manan Yacht Club
P.O. Box 27
Milbridge, ME 04658
New members who have joined the Club since September 1, 2003 may consider that their 2004 dues have been paid. That is, they are paid -up for the year 2004.
Please do not send membership dues to the Club secretary. There is a strong rumor that his boat is in dire need of repair, and he is looking for ways to finance those repairs!!!
I am looking forward to a good year with lots of opportunities for participation in Club activities. I certainly hope this letter finds you in a similar frame of mind. I hope to see you in the summer time. --Don Hensler, Secretary
Snapshots from the 2003 Lobster Bake
http://www.sunriseline.com/pmyc
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