Happy Birthday, SBYC!

Last night's "Spring Fling" dinner at the clubhouse was beautifully hosted by Jill and Greg Reid. Perhaps the most meaningful part of the evening was hearing cruising memories from the club's charter members. So, I thought it appropriate that a blog devoted to club cruising events should have a few of those memories posted. It's thanks to the energy and efforts of those charter members in 1976 that we have this club today and we're indebted to them.

Thank you, SBYC Charter Members!

Most memorable and/or funniest SBYC experience:

• The blind dinghy races on Opening Day were referred to by several folks with Dick & Mona Reynolds offering "They continued to get better each year and they were a riot!"
• The Reynolds also rated the Cook-off cruises to Blakely Island as especially memorable with the chili cook-off won by the "Gay Cabelleros" as the highlight
• The Reid Harbor dinghy parade was particuarily memorable for Jack and Claudette Gubrud
• Hi and Elly Kuenzi's cruise north in an 18 1/2' boat filled with camping gear, 4 kids and a dog in a rough Strait of Georgia was remembered as a tearful experience for Elly while the kids loved the adventure
• Another rough cruise was most memorable for John and Dolores Bratland. John's tale of the 14 mile crossing from Vancouver had others in the audience groaning as they remembered their participation in that event
• Clubhouse dinners with our own handsome, dancing men as waiters made a lasting impression on Ola and Betty Roald while Alice and Ellsworth Meyer recall a dinner where Vice Commodore Meyer was alloted just $27.00 for the meal
• Ham Vittery's recollection of an Opening Day pig roast (complete with photos sent for us to look at) can only leave us grateful today that we have Double Barrel BBQ preparing our dinner this year

Our charter members' advice to SBYC members today:

• Hi and Elly say "Keep your finger on the chart! Stay on course, watch the instruments and be aware of the weather"
• Ham offers "All I regret is that I did not write logs on all our trips and keep them so I could remember the cruises and pass them on to others"
• Mona and Dick write "Have fun! Get as many involved as possible and Don't Get Too Serious!"

Advice worth heeding, wouldn't you say? I think it's also worthwhile to bring back the dinghy parades, blind races and dancing waiters. Let's start making some more fun memories, okay?!

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!!!

Linda and Jim Barrett were responsible for last night's informative and entertaining Training Session (great job, you two!). Titled "Getting Home Safely", their presentation began with amusing video clips of not-so-safe boating practices before preceding to the basic principles for operating a vessel during and after an emergency.

Several items of information were of particular value to this First Mate and I intend to implement these practices aboard:

1. Have a boating departure checklist
2. Have all crew (guests included) practice using the radio. Keep handy at the radio the protocol for issuing both Securite and Mayday calls
3. File, post, or email a friend a float plan before departing on a cruise. Here's a link to one of the float plans distributed last night
4. In addition to practicing crew overboard maneuvers, shake it up a little by instituting a change of watch every so often. Put the First Mate at the helm while the Skipper takes the lines .... what's the worst that can happen? Everyone gets a little practice in and observers might learn some new words along the way!

Regarding the Change of Watch idea - perhaps this could be a theme for one of our cruises this season. What do you think? Should we end the season with our First Mates at the helm?

Shakedown Cruise - April 24 & 25

Hope you can spare the time for this event. You might find this cruise is right up your alley.

The Basics:

• Cap Sante Boat Haven in Anacortes is the destination for our first boating event this season
• Non-boating members are invited to participate in the weekend's activities
• Please sign up in the Shelter Bay office if attending by boat or car

The Details:

• We will be staying in slips located on docks "C" and "D". You don't need to call Cap Sante with your reservation but you will need to provide necessary boat information on the office sign up sheet
• Moorage rates are $.70 per foot, 30 amp power is $4.00
• There will be a BYOB Happy Hour gathering on Friday at 1700 hrs. Please bring an appetizer to share
• Continental breakfast will be served dockside at 0800 hrs Saturday morning
• Skipper and First Mate gatherings will occur mid-morning on Saturday
• We'll be gathering at San Juan Lanes on Saturday at 1600 hrs for fun, food and games
• Prizes given for best bowling outfits, team scores and succesful completion of bowling bingo

Extra Info:

• Friday dinner is YOYO - might we suggest an Anacortes Pub Crawl?
• Bowling cost with shoes: $5.00 for 3 games. Menu items are $8 - $10
• Don't forget socks if renting bowling shoes

Questions?
Contact Vanessa Finch by email mauivanessa@gmail.com or at 941-4141