| Commodore’s Message |
THE SWYC BOATING SEASON IS OPEN! Or at least that’s what I proclaimed yesterday after struggling to withdraw our sword from our very solid rock! Now we see whether King Triton indulges our requests.
First, a HUGE THANK YOU to the Shepard’s and Lovelace’s and all the members who contributed in some way and participated in our awesome Opening Day celebration. The energy in the room, the delicious chili and food and the representation by so many groups made for a lively engaging event. It was great to see so many of our members come out for it
As the boating season opens, all of the months of planning this past winter are now coming to fruition as we clean off the winter grime and launch our favorite water vessel – kayak, laser, pelican, power boat or sail boat – and get out on the waters in and around Whidbey.
The lasers had a challenging and exhilarating first day on the water in mid-April. Kayakers were up next with their rescheduled paddle to Skagit Island. And the Pelicaneers played around in Penn Cove this past week. Cruisers will be going on a shakedown cruise later this month. Even the Commodore and Bilgerat have signed up to participate in three of this summer’s cruises, an adult sailing class and of course paddles.
As we pick and choose which activities to participate in, please take the time to thank those who have volunteered their time this winter to plan each activity and pull together each event.
HELP WANTED
I imagine each of you is really looking forward to participating in whatever activities that “float your boat” as the old saying goes. I certainly am excited to finally be participating in the activities after months of planning. As you read on in this newsletter and as the summer kicks off, you’ll hear requests from fellow members for help for the smallest of tasks, like slicing lemons or melting butter at Crab Fest, to longer commitments like a 4-hour shift as shore support at sailing lessons, helping to crab, planning a paddling event, or co-chairing the planning of the Commodore’s Ball or Holiday Party.
None of these activities can happen without members raising their hands. Try stepping outside your specific area of interest. If you are a kayaker, help the sailors move some boats around for classes. If you’re a sailor, try planning one of our social events. I’m not a kayaker or sailor, but I’ve truly enjoyed helping load and unload kayaks and trying out being on the race committee boat. I’m meeting new people, learning something new and helping someone else out. New members, please jump right in. There’ll always be someone there to be a guide and ensure you’re comfortable with whatever the task is at hand.
So read on. If you see an area where you might have a few hours to lend a hand and your expertise, reach out to the group leader for that activity or event. They can fill you in on what might fit with your interests. If you do not see something in the immediate future, reach out to me, or Bilgerat (Barb G.) or Membership (Mark C.) for ideas.
Thanks in advance for your contributions.
Enjoy the Summer Boating Season!!
Calm seas, fair winds and smooth sailing to you,
Pete Grimlund
Commodore
South Whidbey Yacht Club
| Vice Commodore’s Message Notes from the Flying Bridge |
Reciprocal Moorage
We now have reciprocal privileges at more than 30 yacht clubs in Washington and British Columbia, and we are continuing to add to that list each month. To help you plan your cruising, we made a significant change to the Reciprocity tab on our SWYC website. Just go to our webpage and scroll to the bottom of the Reciprocity tab. Reciprocity Page You will see a list of all the yacht clubs where we have reciprocity. There’s a scroll bar on the right side of the list to see all 30 clubs. Start planning your summer visits to other yacht clubs, or join us for the July cruise to the Gulf Islands where we will be visiting several reciprocal clubs.
Spence and LeAnn Byrum along with Brian and Patty Maxfield just returned from a 10 day cruise to the San Juans and Gulf Islands. They were the first to test out our new reciprocity agreement and gave it rave reviews! They stayed at Salt Spring Sailing Club in Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island. The club was having a social activity with hot dogs and adult beverages, and the four got to join in! Great restaurants in Ganges along with a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. They also spent two nights in a reciprocal slip at Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes. They had planned to stay one night but weather conditions dictated a second night. Wonderful restaurants within walking distance and cute town to explore during the day. They found it easy to make arrangements and appreciated this wonderful opportunity to explore and meet other like-minded boaters.
| Welcome New Members!! |
Please welcome this month’s newest members to the yacht club. We look forward to meeting them at our upcoming events.
JT and Jodie Mudge
JT and Jodie are new to the area, recently moved from Santa Cruz, CA. They are familiar with boats having often sailed or kayaked in Santa Cruz. They’re looking forward to the local SWYC community of boaters to learn more about boats and local waters.
They currently own three kayaks. Soon they expect to purchase a motor boat.
The Mudges have a son, Darren, who graduated from Embry Riddle and now flies helicopters professionally. They also have a delightful middle schooler, Zoe, who accompanied her parents during our New Member Social in April.
Kirstin Clauson
Kirstin has lived on Whidbey for almost 12 years now. She has taken sailing lessons on the Hudson River, on the Thunderbirds in Port Townsend, lasers and hobie cats in Florida, and took the Pelican lessons with the SWYC when she first moved to the island. Her dad is a boater and she grew up with sail and motorboats. She and a friend bought a 14′ Windmill in 2017 which they have taken out on Holmes Harbor a few times and now lays in need of repair at the Boatwright’s. She has a handcrafted soap business, manages the Sunday Tilth Farmer’s Market and works at various jobs.
Lucy, Torrey and Henry Olson
The Olsons moved to the island in June of 2021. Lucy has been sailing periodically on small day sailers off and on throughout her life. Torrey and Lucy owned kayaks and used to do quite a bit of exploring pre-child. They’re looking forward to returning to kayaking and sailing now that they are semi-retired.
Lucy is a marriage and family therapist licensed in CA and Torrey is an agricultural consultant. They sold the family farm in Sebastopol, CA to move to Whidbey. Their son Henry is off to college this coming Fall. They were introduced to the club through a conversation with Pat Sasson.
Michael & Lia Schmitz
Lia grew up splashing around on varietal watercraft on Lake Steilacoom in Lakewood, Washington. Her sailing experience began when Michael’s dad began sailing a Pelican about 12 years ago. Lia works as a consultant pharmacist for long term care and gardens and keeps bees on the side.
Michael’s from Everett, WA and has a Pelican (2442). He’s embarrassed to say that they have lived on Whidbey Island for more than a decade, but have only had a boat for the past year. Although he didn’t grow up with sailing, they did have a couple of Pygmy kayaks that they would take out on the Sound. He started sailing after college in the Bay Area with the Cal sailing club, and then when he moved back he did some racing out of Shilshole and with his dad on his Pelican (2510). For work, Michael is currently a director of engineering at the Allen Institute for AI.
Ted Bellinger
As a youth, Ted sailed on the east coast. Having arrived on Whidbey Island a couple of years ago, he has resumed his interest with the recent purchase of a Laser. By day, Ted id a financial consultant to various tech companies. After work, he cares for his three-year-old son with his spouse.
Letty Curvers
Welcome Letty Curvers, another new SWYC member.
May Membership MeetingWednesday, May 17
|
Zak Malbin – SWYC Laser Fleet Lead
SWYC Laser Racing Program
Zak Malbin has sailed his entire life – from cruising around the San Juan Islands as a kid, racing Lasers starting at the age of 13, racing through college, instructing kids and adults in Portland and being a race coach on Long Island Sound (best job in the world).
Zak is now leveraging his passion for sailing and racing to breathe new life into the SWYC Laser Racing Program. Most recently he helped to put together and teach a Laser racing clinic. In addition to sharing more about his extensive sailing and racing experience, Zak’s presentation will focus on the exciting things happening with the SWYC Laser Racing Fleet, how the Fleet is growing and all that the program has to offer.
Greenbank Progressive Club
Or Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82265655980?pwd=T0pTbTFUNnhHYWZBeVRDcENiZnBLUT09
Meeting ID: 822 6565 5980
Passcode: 114132
For future programs, see the event calendar on the SWYC website.
| Ya Gotta Regatta |
Ya Gotta Regatta
Next Saturday May 13
1 PM to 4 PM-ish
Lone Lake County Park
Weather forecast looks Perfect for a day on the Lake!
Do you have a boat of any sort just sitting by the side of your house? Don’t make it stay there unused for yet another year. Take the tarp off, get it down to Lone Lake and get it on the water during the SWYC Ya Gotta Regatta! Find out if it still floats. All sail and paddled boats are invited, including canoes, kayaks, paddle boards (SUP’s), foot-paddled boats and row boats. Maybe an inflatable flamingo? The Laser fleet will be represented. No power boats please, but anything else that can be towed, carried or dragged is welcome for a party on the lake.
No boat? Come anyway and enjoy a day at the park. Don’t forget your life jacket (we will have a few to loan) and bring your own water, beverage and food and maybe a chair.
Broken boat? Need advice on how to get it repaired? Some of our club members have been fixing their boats for years. Most are very likely to offer advice whether you want it or not. Bring your boat down. Photos of the problem might work too.
Pelican Sailboat Rides
Pelican owners will be offering rides for members and guests that would just like a sample of what this sailing thing is all about and a great up-close look at a Pelican.
Try Out Kayaking
Our new members Jack and Ann Holton will be bringing a trailer of kayaks of various sizes for members to try out. Take a little paddle to see if this water sport is for you.
Location (Click on the link for a map)
Lone Lake County Park, 5075 Lone Lake Rd, Langley
We will be getting started around 1 PM. Come early or late. We’ll probably be winding down by 4 PM. This event is early in the year. Weather can still be unpredictable so be sure to check your email or the SWYC website for any last-minute updates to time or possible cancellation before venturing out. Could be the best day of the year!
Contact Bob Rodgers with questions.
Here’s a link to a fun YouTube video from this gathering way back in 2014, before our kayakers even got started in the club. Let’s all get out there this year!
| Crab Fest! |
Ahoy, SWYC members – Save the date! Sunday, July 23, 2023 is the next infamous SWYC Crab Feast. Planning for our much loved July Crab Fest Feast has begun and we could use your help. We reached out and the band we had last year, LocoMotion, was available to play our event again! You will hear more from our Vice-Commodore, Bruce Morris who will be wrangling our Crabbers! Crabbing will occur from Thursday, July 13-July 22 this year and the Pre-Function “Cooking of the Crab” will be on Saturday, July 7/22. (Rumor has it, that much fun is had there too!)
We have some big asks and some little tasks too, before, during and after… something for everyone! See what might appeal to you…The following are a few of the volunteers that are needed:
Before…
- First, another co-chair! An individual or a couple to join The Carney’s in the fun of pulling off another festive Crab Feast for SWYC. As new members, The Carney’s stepped up last year and were mentored by Bruce Morris and Barbara Bergmann and are onboard for planning this year’s event. Come join us to learn the ropes of this wonderful SWYC tradition!
- We need boats (3-5) with skippers and folks with crabbing licenses (2-3 per boat) to assist the boat captains and to feed this crowd! (over 100 last year…!) Jim had a blast last year getting to know our Treasurer, Starke and Commodore, Pete Grimlund.
- Sat. 7/22 – Pre-Function Crab cooker volunteers
- a volunteer or two to pick up and bring many bags (10) of ice –both SAT and SUN for the Pre-Function Crab Cooking to ice down the cooked crab and then Event. (Costs are reimbursed)
- a Volunteer Shopper to make a Costco run (We have the list dialed in…)
- a Volunteer Shopper to make a Grocery run (we have that list too!)
During or Day of…
- 6-8 people to help to come early and help to set up
- A couple volunteer Greeters to collect the donation and direct traffic
- a Volunteer to slice those lemon wedges
- We will need a propane stove and a volunteer or two to be in charge of melting that butter!
- We need a BBQ Grill master – flipping those burgers and dogs coming up hot off the grill; a team of two would be great.
- We will need an extra propane tank as a back up just in case…and volunteer to bring that.
- a volunteer with tongs to hand out all the great crab
- 6-8 folks to agree to stay and help clean up
- We need to borrow several large coolers (5)
- a couple volunteers to handle the trash and recycling disposal (Recycling goes home and then to Center Tuesday)
We are grateful to those members who via our new volunteer survey have already signed up and begun to divvy up large and small tasks to pull off this fun event. If you can help, reach out to Jim and Melody Carney or email the bilgerat@swyachtclub.com with where you can assist and together we will have another successful and fun event. We are looking forward to it and hope you are too.
| 20 Years of SWYC – ‘Oops’ Award |
This article is the first in a series of looks back at some past traditions, events and fun times during SWYC’s first 20 years.
The Oops Award originated when the first Founders Award trophy somehow had the the word “Yacht” misspelled. Rather than scrap it, the decision was made to make it into its own award to be presented when appropriate to a Club member who had experienced a significant un-planned outcome, particularly one with negative results. Rules for the award included that it must be prominently displayed in the recipient’s home until passed along to the next unfortunate “winner.” Also a keeper “Trophy” was to be presented which graphically memorializes the winning event or action.
Alas, I committed the first such action. After Pelican racing at Lone Lake, I hauled my boat to the parking lot with the mainsail still up. A gust of wind came through, and essentially I capsized off the trailer on dry land. Yikes! (See picture of my keeper trophy.)
Bill’s Keeper Trophy
Since then, a variety of boat oriented faux pas have accompanied the award as it has passed among the membership. Examples include the following:
- While drilling a hole to drain an internal compartment, one member drilled through the bottom of the boat, and of course the boat was in the water at the time.
- One of our members backed over another member’s mail box. No award was presented until it happened again.
- Another member contacted an overhead power line at the Freeland boat launch with an aluminum mast which resulted in a power outage for most of down town Freeland.
The award has not been given out for a few years now (really?), but it is still kicking around waiting for the next deserving incident. Keep alert, and report any nominations to me, and I will track down the trophy. – Bill Brown
| Kayaking |
SWYC Kayaking in 2023
The Merry Month of May is upon us with our first two paddles of the season — both to Skagit Island from Cornet Bay for spring flowers and a picnic. Our planned Cinco de Mayo Sunset paddle on Mutiny Bay had to be cancelled due to inclement weather but happily it turned into a Penn Cove Brewery Kayaking Social. That paddle has now been rescheduled to June 2. The kayaking season is full speed ahead.
Kayaking with the club offers many opportunities to be on the water with both planned paddles and last-minute spontaneous paddles planned by members of the group. As new kayaking events are organized, they will appear on the SWYC website. Join this fun activity with the club.
For the full list of planned 2023 paddles (so far, with more to come), click here and scroll down the page:
We also want to call out several May kayaking opportunities.
Ya Gotta Regatta– Bring your kayaks to Lone Lake on Saturday, May 13 to join fellow SWYC members as we have a big picnic (bring your own) and enjoy our watercraft paddling, sailing, rowing peddling and floating around the lake. Our new members Jack and Ann Holton are bringing a trailer of several kayaks for people to try out in case you aren’t a kayaker and want to see what it’s all about, or if you are a kayaker and would like to try a different style boat.
Saratoga Beach to Fox Spit or Bells Beach. May 20, 9:00 AM. Leaders: Dorothy and Bob Kulwin. This will be a relaxing paddle to explore parts of the east side of Whidbey Island. Click on the link for all the details and to RSVP.
Paddle Leaders Meeting – May 15, 6:30 PM. We could sure use a few more paddlers to step up to lead an event or two. More leaders = more fun paddles for everyone to enjoy. If interested in how to plan and lead an event, come to the Paddle Leaders Meeting to learn more about it and gain confidence in putting one together. You’ll get lots of help!
And don’t forget our Baker Lake Swift Creek Campground trip June 25 – June 27 and our West Beach Resort Orcas Island trip September 21 – September 24. Both of these events are open to All SWYC members, as well as our kayakers. For those going on the Baker Lake trip, watch for an email from Barb later in May. It’s time to start doing some planning and practicing of your campfire songs.
Contact Katy Shaner or Barb Grimlund, bilgerat@gmail.com, for more information and to RSVP for these trips.
Paddling back from Skagit Island to Cornet Bay on Whidbey
| YSA Adult Sailing Classes |
STARTING TUESDAY, MAY 9, THE YSA GROUP WILL START MEETING EVERY TUESDAY AT 9:00 AM AT HONEYMOON LAKE COMMUNITY CENTER AND NO LONGER AT WIFIRE. SAILORS AND WOULD-BE SAILORS, COME JOIN THIS PLANNING GROUP!
Learn to Sail Classes
Classes are filling up quickly. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN.
https://swparks.activityreg.com
June 3,4 Sat & Sun 10 am to 4:30 Class is FULL
June 5 – 8 M,T,W,Th 2 pm to 4:30 Still OPEN
June 10,11 Sat & Sun 10 am to 4:30 Still OPEN
Tired of sitting on the beach and watching boaters boat? Tired of breathing engine exhaust? Or just ready to expand your on-water experiences? Maybe it’s time to feel the quiet, emotional rush of sail power. Gently tug on the lines, move the tiller an inch or two to correct course. All this can be yours on a sailboat without an oily smell or loud engine. Just the sound of the wind in the sails. Now is the time to sign up for the SWYC’s Adult Sailing Lessons. You’ve always wanted to do this, so why not now ?
Additional reasons to take this sailing class:
- Do this for yourself.
- If not for you, then do this for your partner. Get him/her out of the house for a while. Nothing spices things up like a little adventure together.
- Maybe a Father’s Day surprise? A little early this year but it could work.
- It’s a great story to share with your family at Thanksgiving dinner to answer the question – What did you do this summer?
Class details are on our website. For more information, contact YSA Director Bob Rodgers.
| YSA – Youth Sailing Classes |
Wow! Youth Sailing Classes Filled in One Day!
Our Youth Sailing Class filled up almost immediately this year. 54 kids signed up for Beginners and Intermediates. We’ve always filled up our classes but doing it this quickly was a record. We have opened up an additional Intermediate class and it will likely be full by the time this is published.
We are going to have our hands full and now, we will need additional help. If you have interest in helping administer this popular community program and keep its success continuing into the future, contact us. We are always seeking to expand our team. General areas needing help and the coordinators for you to talk to are listed here. Please consider how you can add your expertise, skills and helping hands.
- Bill Brown – Motorboat (Safety boats) Support team
- Perry Lovelace – Logistics (Moving and/or coordinating placing boats and equipment at sites as needed)
- Bob Boehm – Boat Repair – El Toro Team
- Michael Scott – Boat Repair – Laser Team
- Bob Rodgers – Operations and Management
- Clay Canfield – Safety
- Sara Dore – Shore Support team. Helping signups and communications. Contact Sara to see what this job is about and how you can help.
Moving the boats to the class site
| Sailing/Racing |
Laser Fleet
The Laser Fleet is all abuzz with the great turnout Sunday, April 23 where a group of 20 + people, 15 of those laser sailors, turned out at Lone Lake to get ready for the summer racing season! You heard me! 15 laser sailers!! We think this is the beginning of a fabulous laser series starting Tuesday May 16, at 3:30 at Holmes Harbor. Races start at 4:30. We are still looking for volunteers to help with the racing support, so contact Zak or Carol
Also of note is that the dock at Holmes Harbor is closed. Commodore Pete has asked us to please voice our concerns to Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon. Every Monday at 3:00 she at the WiFire in Freeland for a listening session.
And if you weren’t already planning to attend, Zak Malbin will be our speaker at the May Monthly SWYC meeting. He will be giving a State of the Laser Fleet Address, plus his hopes and dreams of whipping us into shape, and increasing attendance at races.
Pelican Fleet
Pelican sailing and practice racing was held on Wednesday, 5/3 at Monroe Landing on Penn Cove. It was a beautiful day for sailing… brisk west winds and sunshine. Four boats tested the conditions completing three races. A major objective for the event was to evaluate this venue as a site for summer series Pelican racing. The verdict was yes.
A schedule for 2023 Club Pelican racing and Notice of Race with details will be posted on our website soon. We will start on May 31st at Lone Lake and continue on alternate Wednesdays through August with breaks as necessitated by the Youth Sailing Association classes. We will move to Monroe Landing when Lone Lake is taken over by algae toxins. Other venues will be considered as the season progresses based on feedback from the Pelicaneers.
Also, if you didn’t get a chance to sign up at Opening Day for Pelican emails, crew, race committee or after race party hosting, contact Bill Brown, and he will add you to the appropriate lists.
Ya Gotta Regatta
And of course, Ya Gotta Regatta, on Saturday, May 13 will be another good time for fun sailing. Mark your calendars!
Practice races out of Monroe Landing on Penn Cove
| New Safety Boat – Donations Requested |
We were fortunate to have our new safety boat at our recent Laser Clinic held on Lone Lake on a very windy day in April.
Deductible Donations Requested
Last year, we lost one of our safety boats during the YSA youth sailing program. We had replaced it with an 11′ Zodiac at a very reasonable price. The Zodiac is a good safety boat on small lakes like Deer Lake. However, is is not a strong enough safety boat for open ocean racing like the laser races SWYC sponsors.
Zak Malbin and Carol Dean, two Yacht Club members who are avid laser sailors and racers are expanding our Laser Program to provide on-the-water training for both “sailors” and “racers,” which necessitates a more robust safety boat for sailing/racing programs on Holmes Harbor, where winds coming out of the north can create challenging choppy seas.
To support this program, YSA has purchased a 15′ AB inflatable boat and are looking to offset this $13,000 club expenditure by requesting donations from our club members. If we could get 60 members to donate $100 each, we would achieve our target. Or any size donation is appreciated.
You can mail your donation to SWYC-YSA, PO Box 316, Greenbank, WA, 98253. Please make your checks out to YSA, as that was the source of the funds to purchase this safety boat. Contributions to YSA are tax deductible.
Thank you for supporting the safety of our sailors in the rapidly growing club sponsored activity.
| Cruising |
SWYC Cruising Activities for 2023
We have some great cruises planned for this summer! Our first cruise is only two weeks away. Join each cruise for the full itinerary or just for a few nights. Or even just meet us for dinner at one of our locations. All members are welcome to explore and socialize.
If you are joining any of these cruises, contact the cruise director directly to get the marina information for slip reservations and to let them know you are coming.
Starting with a May Shakedown Cruise to the San Juan Islands. Jim and Melody Carney will be the cruise directors. Itinerary:
- Monday, May 22nd – Echo Bay on Sucia Island
- Tuesday, May 23rd – on to Friday Harbor
- Wednesday, May 24th – across the channel to Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez
- Thursday, May 25th – back to Anacortes
June 4th – June 12th Princess Louisa Inlet, Canada Cruise – Lead by Bruce Morris and Barbara Bergmann. Please contact them if you are interested in this cruise.
June 17th – June 20th Victoria, Canada Cruise: Dave Davis and Barb Hardman are cruise directors. See details on our webpage.
July 25th – July 31st Gulf Islands Cruise. Bruce Morris and Barbara Bergmann will be the cruise directors. We will be visiting a number of reciprocal yacht clubs during this cruise. See details on our webpage.
We are still looking for a cruise director to plan a South Sound cruise in September.
| Windward Women |
Women’s Dinner at Callen’s
The Windward Women of the South Whidbey Yacht Club met at Callen’s restaurant in April for beverages and dinner. It was relaxing to get together in person again, get caught up and swap stories from our winter and spring activities.
All women in the SWYC are members of the Windward Women’s group and are welcome to join in our social and exploring gatherings. We usually meet every other month on the first Thursday of that month, but that can vary depending on the planned activity.
Watch for our upcoming events on our SWYC website calendar or reach out to Patty Maxfield to ensure you’re on the email distribution list. Our next meeting is tentatively June 8.
***We are still seeking a SWYC member who would like to lead the Windward Women interest group. Duties include maintaining the email list and planning an event every other month — or delegate the planning as you choose. Contact Patty Maxfield or bilgerat@swyachtclub.org if you would like to help out with this role.***
| Social Events |
Save the Dates! Add these dates to your 2023 calendar. Please let Mark Conover, membership@swyachtclub.org, know if you will volunteer to help with any of these events. It’s a great way to meet other members – and you get to plan the party!
Ya Gotta Regatta – Saturday, May 13
Crab Fest ’23 – Sunday, July 23 – NEEDED – CO-CHAIRS
August Social – Wednesday, August 16
Commodore’s Ball – Saturday, November 11 – NEEDED – CO-CHAIRS
SWYC Holiday Party – Wednesday, December 13 – NEEDED – CO-CHAIRS
Keep track of all the club events and updates at:
https://swyachtclub.org/events/#!calendar
| Member Opportunity – USCG Auxiliary Boat Safety Checks |
Getting your boat ready for the boating season? One of our own, Patty Maxfield, belongs to the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and is qualified to provide boat safety checks. These safety checks are for all types of boats – sail, power, paddle – and are recommended to have completed annually. Some of our SWYC members have already benefitted this year from Patty’s offer. Contact Patty via email if you are interested. She will try to group the member safety checks together for fun and convenience!There is no charge for this service.
| Safety Matters! |
SAFETY MATTERS #3:
Crew Overboard
By Clay Canfield, Safety Officer
Question: When was the last time you practiced recovering a crew overboard?
This article is mostly for sailboats, but the last couple portions for approaching the victim and coming alongside apply to power boats as well.
Considering that many of us cruise with just two people aboard, the crew overboard procedure is not only critical to know, but more likely than not, may fall on the lesser experienced sailor to perform. There are several methods for executing the maneuver. US Sailing’s Basic Keelboat course recommends either the Quick-stop method or the figure eight method. Personally I prefer the Quick-stop method for the lesser experienced sailor, as it can be performed without trimming the sail until the last minute, is easier to learn, and simpler to execute. I recommend that anyone who owns a sailboat practice their crew overboard procedure at least once every time they take the boat out. US Sailing or other major sailing organizations each have their own preferred methods. I recommend researching as many as you can and using the one that best suits your situation and capabilities. By practicing a “worst-case” scenario, meaning only one person would execute the maneuver, you’re pretty much assured that with more crew, it will be easier.
As skipper of a Sea Scout Ship, I insisted we practice the maneuver at least once every time we took the boat out. I used what I called the “racetrack” method, which is basically the quick-stop method using a racetrack pattern. In this method, upon learning that someone is overboard, the helmsman, after tossing a life preserver, immediately comes up and tacks through the wind without touching the sails, backwinding the jib. Turning downwind on a heading parallel to that before the COB (Crew Overboard) with sails improperly trimmed, you sail downwind until you can make a turn to sail directly to the victim, as the sails should still be trimmed for about that point of sail. We would approach the victim on a close reach allowing us to come up or fall off as needed. We typically did not trim the sails until we were approaching the victim.. Approaching the victim can be tricky, as coming alongside you can wind up either drifting away from the victim or drifting into the victim. If conditions allow, it may be best to put the victim on the leeward side.
I’m not suggesting or recommending the procedure we used, rather giving an example of a method that was easier for youth to understand and practice. Again, I recommend researching appropriate sources to determine the procedure you prefer. Here’s a link for MOB Rescue for Powerboats.
Recovering the victim is a whole article in itself, and I’ll go into that at the next Safety Matters.
| Members’ Tech Tips and Training |
Website Tip for May
Tell us about your boats!
What kind of water toys do you operate? Sometimes it’s just fun to find others in the club who have similar boats, kayaks or other water toys similar to your own. Maybe someone to go to for help or ideas with a problem? Or go out for some fun together?
Some of us swap our boats out every once in awhile, so what was originally in your profile might be old news by now.
Here’s how to update your watercraft info so that it shows up in the secured membership directory:
- On the swyachtclub.org website, click on ‘Current Members’ at the top of the page
- Then on ‘Manage My Account’
- At this point, you’ll need to sign in with your ID and password
- Once into your account, find the box that says ‘Profile’. It will be next to the ‘Account’ box
- Click on ‘Profile’ and scroll down the page to ‘Marine Craft’.
- This is where you can enter all your current boat information.
- And if you are currently boat-less, let us know if you’d like to crew, crab or cruise with another member on a preferred type of boat. It’s a great way to get connected.
| *** 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. |
Getting outfitted for the upcoming boating season? Looking for SWYC clothing, hats or gifts?Click here: Land’s End Store |
Copyright © 2023 South Whidbey Yacht Club, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
Our mailing address is:
South Whidbey Yacht Club
PO Box 316
Greenbank, WA 98253