| Commodore’s Message |
Spring has officially arrived, heralding longer and warmer days. My guess is our household is not much different than others as we eagerly swapped out the winter toys for our summer ones.
Looking at the SWYC calendar, it’s exciting to see activities for young and old and everyone in between – vessel ownership optional. Just the enjoyment of being out of doors and involved in water related activities is all that is needed.
If you have not already done so, please poke through the event calendar on our website https://swyachtclub.org/events/#!calendar and make note of those things that you would like to do. Reach out to the interest group leaders or a Board member if you have questions.
EVENTS & PROGRAMS
This past month’s presentation by SWYC member Peter Ford was inspirational. Thank you, Peter, for sharing your journey north into the Canadian Broughtons.
Unfortunately, I must again apologize to those who missed the presentation and want to see it. I forgot to flip the ZOOM switch to record after the session started. Hopefully we can rectify this in the coming months as two of our members have stepped up to assist with managing our monthly meetings. We can still use two more volunteers to learn the AV gear and share the responsibility for a couple of monthly meetings.
MONTHLY PROGRAM MEETING
Be sure to join us at our next general meeting on April 20th at the Progressive Club in Greenbank for those who wish to attend in person or via live stream for those who prefer to attend electronically. I look forward to seeing smiling faces and talking spring boat prep with my shipmates.
Calm seas, fair winds and clear skies to you,
Pete Grimlund
Commodore
South Whidbey Yacht Club
| Welcome New Members |
Please welcome this month’s newest members to the yacht club. We look forward to meeting them at our upcoming events.
After working to find which Seattle-area neighborhood fit best for the better part of the last decade, Melissa, our almost-two-year-old William, Airedale Terrier Charlie, and I bought our very first home in Langley in February, 2022. The two of us met racing dinghies (420s and FJs) for the University of Illinois, after growing up sailing on our families’ boats in Lake Michigan and off the Connecticut coast. We’ve bareboat chartered and otherwise sailed in the British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the US Virgin Islands, Belize, Oahu, up and down the New England coast, various Midwest freshwater, Charleston, Columbia River, Lake Union & Lake Washington, and the Salish Sea. We’ve been previous local members at Sail Sand Point, Corinthian Yacht Club, and the Center for Wooden Boats; and while we have yet to own our own watercraft, we’re looking forward to continuing to learn, weekend cruising, racing, meeting fellow sailors, and introducing our son to the windy world on the water.
Bob and Dorothy Kulwin
Bob and I bought our home in 1998 using it as a great weekend get away and finally settled in full time in 2012. We love canoeing and kayaking. Bob is an avid catch-and-release fly fisherman. On land we bike and hike. Our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter live in Sammamish which means we get to see them quite often. We love Whidbey and enjoy all it offers – beautiful, healthy environment and a multitude of fantastic people with a wide range of interests.
Trenna Middleton
Trenna lived in Friday Harbor and had her own store front. She moved to Whidbey Island to live closer to her daughter and son-in-law. Trenna sailed on Lake Michigan and recently belonged to the Friday Harbor Sailing Club. She is looking forward to getting involved with the club, sailing and being a part of the Windward Women’s group.
April
|
STEPHANIE RAYMOND
Program Manager for Orca Network
Stephanie Raymond is a lifelong resident of the Salish Sea watershed and is passionate about sharing its wonders with others. She has been obsessed with the Southern Resident Killer Whale population since she was six years old. Formerly People for Puget Sound’s education coordinator, she has been a marine naturalist and deckhand on board the San Juan Clipper for the past eleven years, and is certified in basic keelboat by US Sailing. She is currently the program manager for Orca Network, a non-profit organization connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not actively looking for or talking about whales, Stephanie enjoys sailing, canoeing, and backpacking.
“Whale Safe Boating in the Salish Sea” covers the rules, regulations and best practices for vessel operation around whales in both US and Canadian waters. Presented from a boating safety perspective, the workshop includes information about how to report whale sightings, vessel violations and entangled marine mammals, as well as tips for identifying the different whales most often seen in the Salish Sea.
As part of the Whidbey Earth & Ocean Month, we have invited the public to join Stephanie’s presentation via Zoom. If you’d like to learn more about Whidbey Earth & Ocean Month and participate in other local presentations, check out their website for listings: whidbeyearthday.org
This is an In-Person/Zoom Hybrid Meeting
In Person at the Greenbank Progressive Club
and Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83776951324?pwd=V2w5TVdRaUxIcHRGTnpDTllXdzllZz09
Meeting ID: 837 7695 1324
Passcode: 925772
Check our website for the May and June program speakers:
https://swyachtclub.org/meetings/#!event-list
| Upcoming Social Events |
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!
South Whidbey Yacht Club Opening Day
Saturday, May 7th
Honeymoon Lake Community Clubhouse
4343 Honeymoon Bay Road, Greenbank
It’s been two long years since the Club has been able to offer a full schedule of summer activities. It’s time to celebrate and get back on the water!
Beginning at 3:00, Club members representing our various interest groups will be available to hand out information about their plans for the summer and answer your questions about joining the fun!
Next, we’ll officially open the boating season with the world-famous Sword Ceremony and general announcements.
A buffet will follow, with the main dishes (variations of chili) provided by the interest groups. The Club will provide wine, beer and water. Please bring a dish to share, your own dishes and utensils and something to sit on.
Hosts: Jill and Bill Brown and Tina and Glen Quinton
| SWYC Youth Sailing Association |
YSA – Volunteers needed – Paint and Varnish
This is the time of year to get boats ready for this year’s sailing programs. At the end of our youth sailing camps we make a list of the boats that need some attention. We list the action needed and we always say let’s get these done this winter. Then, we always say, where did the winter go? and nothing got done? Every winter, it’s the same thing.
Most of our little boats are in good condition. Some need repair work but several more need fresh paint and varnish. An example is LIPSTICK – Its official long name is Lipstick and Eyeliner – with its luscious red and black trim. It’s one of the boats needing a little freshening up with fresh paint. This popular little boat needs a caretaker for some attention this year. Several other boats, such as Nutmeg and Tanker, need a little extra love too.
Please help us get the kids out on the water this summer while putting your great painting skills to work. Enjoy the comfort of working in your own garage or workshop. Maybe ask a friend to help? All supplies are reimbursed.
If working side-by-side with a group of sailors is more to your liking, join the YSA team as they pull the boats out of storage on April 22nd. You can count on swapping some good sailing stories as you ready the boats for summer.
Just raise your hand. YSA really appreciates your help with this summer prep.
For more information email or call Bob Rodgers .
Check out all the youth and adult sailing class dates and information:
https://swyachtclub.org/schedule-of-classes/
 |
 |
LIPSTICK, NUTMEG and TANKER being fully enjoyed by sailing camp participants.
| Kayaking News |
Kayaking with the SWYC
Spring is busting out all over! At least it is trying to. And Kayaking with the SWYC is full speed ahead!
Members of the kayaking group have been meeting each month of this new year via Zoom. Paddles for the coming season have been scheduled. Kayaking safety videos on wet exit, self-rescue and assisted rescue have been watched and discussed. A refresher safety class with Whidbey Island Kayaking has been planned for Sunday, June 5.
On Saturday, March 26, members of the SWYC kayaking group participated in the Whidbey Island Sea Kayaking traditional Spring Flower Paddle to Skagit Island. This paddle was led by Sue Ellen White who has circumnavigated Whidbey Island and has shared many stories about her paddle around the island.
This year’s paddle started at Coronet Bay, in Deception State Park, then over to Skagit Island for lunch, socializing and an island perimeter hike to see the wildflowers just beginning to bloom. It was a perfect day with calm seas, low glare and no rain! Thank you to SWYC member Joel Shrut for connecting us up with this paddle.
SWYC Kayaking Season
- Sunday, April 10 – Deer Lake, 10 AM – 12 noon
- Monday, May 16 – Mutiny Bay, 5:30 PM
- (Back-up date) Monday, May 23, 10:30 AM
- Saturday, June 11 – Bowman Bay/Deception Pass State Park, 10:00 AM
- Wednesday – Friday, June 22-24 – Lake Wenatchee State Park, Kayak/Camping trip
- Monday, July 18, – Monroe Landing or Captain Coupe Park, 2:00 PM
- Monday, August 1 – Lake Campbell, Depart South Whidbey 9:00 AM
- Monday, August 29 – Mueller Park, 11:00AM
- Saturday, September 17 – boat launch at Sandy Hook, 10:30 AM
If you are interested in and not yet on the SWYC kayaking list, please contact Katy Shaner .
| Windward Women |
The March Windward Women gathering was held via Zoom on Tuesday, March 1.
The group had expressed a desire to get to know our fellow members better, so for the March meeting we featured Patty Linehan sharing the story of her career as a linewoman for AT&T, plus hearing from both Pat Mathews and Patty about their kayaking adventures in Alaska. It was fascinating and fun to hear their stories!
Our next gathering is Tuesday, May 3. We are hoping to gather in person. Stay tuned and as always, stay flexible!
The Windward Women gather bi-monthly, the first Tuesday of the month. Email Bilgerat@swyachtclub.org to get on the mailing list!
 |
 |
| Socials |
 |
 |
SOCIALS – SAVE THE DATES!
May 7– Opening Day Celebration at Honeymoon Bay Clubhouse
May 14 – Sail-What-You-Gotta Regatta
July 10 – Crab Fest at Honeymoon Bay Clubhouse
Keep track of all the club events and updates at:
https://swyachtclub.org/events/#!calendar
| MEMBERS’ TIPS AND TRAINING – NEW |
Website Tip for April
The SWYC website https://swyachtclub.org is an ever-changing but very important tool to our club. We need your help in making it vital and useful to each one of us and to those outside of the club.
Tip – Using the Event Calendar
The online Calendar of Events displays all of the SWYC sponsored events including monthly membership meetings, racing dates, sailing lesson dates, cruise dates, kayaking paddle dates, Windward Women dates and of course, our club socials dates. By hovering your mouse over the event title on each date, you can also see all the details of that event – time, place and other details. And you get it all in ONE PLACE! You never have to miss an event that is important to you!
TIP – How to access the calendar and events
- On the website, click on “Calendar of Events” in the top bar.
- Scroll down the page and you’ll see the calendar. Keep scrolling and you’ll see each month.
- Events on the calendar are color coded. For example, kayaking events are in light blue. Monthly membership meetings and socials are in a darker blue. Pelican racing is in orange.
- Move your cursor over the title of the event on each date and hold it there. You will see a pop-up box preview of the event. If you then click on the title of the event, it will take you to the detailed description. Easy Peasy!
- Now go back up to the top of the calendar. You will see two drop down boxes “Show” and “Subscribe”.
- Click “Show”. Then click on “show all” to see all of the event dates. If you are only interested in, say, Laser racing, click on “laser racing”in the drop down box. The calendar will hide all the other dates leaving only the laser racing dates visible.
- Click on the “Subscribe” box. You will have three choices of where you want to add the dates.
- Click on the choice that makes the most sense for you. The events will automatically flow to your chosen personal calendar.
- BE CAREFUL – If you only want, say, kayaking dates, use the “Show” box drop down menu to select only ‘kayaking’ so that that is all you see on the calendar. If you want all of the events to flow to your personal calendar, then use the “show all” option.
The other way to see events for only one interest group is by clicking on the specific page on the top bar of the page or by using the drop down menu under Calendar of Events.
Still not clear? If you would like assistance with this calendar tip, or to update your personal club on-line profile (last month’s website tip), please reach out to Deb Richardson or Barb Grimlund (bilgerat@swyachtclub.org). We’re happy to help.
| Where to find the Calendar of Events link on the SWYC Home page. |
| See the color-coded events directly on the calendar. See descriptions of each by hovering your mouse over the event. |
| Use the “Show” and “Subscribe” buttons to fine tune your search for a certain kind of event and to send these events to your personal electronic calendar. |
| *** If you know of any club member who is not receiving these newsletters or other club communications, please email bilgerat@swyachtclub.org. We’ll help them get connected. *** |
| Looking for SWYC clothing, hats or gifts?
Click here: Land’s End Store |
