Commodore's Message
There’s already lots going on across our Club and we haven’t even hit the official Opening Day of Boating Season yet. The Kayak group recently conducted an in-pool kayak rescue class to prepare for upcoming paddles, the Windward Women had a great hike and tour of the Keystone Farm and Forest, planning for the Crabfest has commenced, a fun and informative New Member Orientation was held (special thanks to Deb Richardson for hosting) and Laser racers have been getting out on the water to tune up their rigs and hone their racing skills.
The big news we have to share though is the Port of South Whidbey Commissioners just approved the lease of a transient moorage slip at the Langley Marina to the SWYC to use for Club and reciprocal moorage. It is expected to be available for use by the beginning of May. The Port is excited about being the “home port” of the SWYC and looking forward to collaborating with us in the future. We have provided the Port with a flag version or our burgee which is to be flown atop of a flagpole made from a “surplus” sail boat mast. We are also working on SWYC signage and displays for the marina. The desirability of a reciprocal slip at the Langley Marina should help us establish reciprocal agreements with even more yacht clubs in the region and grow our membership.
With all that said, the SWYC Opening Day is almost upon us. The event will be held at the Langley Fairgrounds Pole Barn on Sunday May 4 at 3:00 PM. Please join us for a fun afternoon of celebration and nautical tradition (including a chili cook-off).
Kayaking by Co-Fleet Captains Nina Fitts and Diane Lagerstedt
Upcoming Events
Earth Day Paddle April 19th—details to be announced this week on Group Me
Cinco de Mayo Paddle – 5 May Social paddle Robinson Beach with a Fiesta lunch at Diane’s
Fort Flagler Camping Trip June 22-24 (19 registered so far!)
Sinclair Island Camping July 29-31 (8 registered so far!)
Possession Point Kelp Beds August 8th (9 registered already)
Splish Splash Pool Rescue Session
We had a successful pool rescue session at Oak Harbor Pool with 10 attendees, 2 great coaches Jack and Ann Holton and several spectators. Self-rescue and assisted rescue skills were practiced. Just a few of the tips and learnings that paddlers mentioned: check your bulkheads don’t leak, life jackets need to be tighter than you think, assisted T rescues were easier for most than self-rescues, foam paddle floats much quicker than the inflatable type and these drills are a lot more fun in a pool! Dinner followed at Mai Thai in Oak Harbor. A big thank you to Jack and Ann Holton for renting the pool and organizing the event!
New Member Social April 6th
We were so excited to welcome 9 new kayak members with diverse paddling interest and experience. From left to right: Gwen Coughenour, Judy Dixon, Karen and Scott Price, Judy Hucka, Robin Porter, Diane Lagerstedt (co-captain kayak fleet) Erik and Anna Nordstrom and their junior paddlers/sailors! Stacy Taylor also attended the social but snuck out before the pic. Can’t wait to see you all on the water!
Earth Day Paddle?
Earth day is April 19th. Early weather predictions look like good paddling conditions. Stay tuned on the Group Me App for a potential pop-up paddle to celebrate!
Kayakers over and out!
Windward Women by Fleet Captain Katy Shaner
Greetings April. Bring on your rain. Bring on your sunshine. Blossoms abound. Greetings of spring welcome us!
In a week of many showers, Windward Women lucked out with the sun this past Wednesday, April 9th. It was a pleasant day as 12 of us met at the office of Whidbey Camano Land Trust for an introduction to “Hiking Close to Home” by Maribeth Crandell and about WCLT by Janet Hall, a former board member of the Trust.
After the presentation, Janet and Maribeth led us to the newly acquired Land Trust property – Keystone Farm and Forest – a property not yet open to the public. The estimated date for accessibility for the public is spring/summer of 2026.
Janet and Maribeth shared both their abundant knowledge and their enthusiasm for this special place. We took about an hour and a half walk through the forest, the farmland and even a view of the almost mile long shoreline. We saw the renovation of the property, the natural vegetation restoration, the sharing of the agricultural care of the land with the Organic Farm School and last but not least, the removal of the seawall to benefit the shoreline and the marine vegetation of its shore.
The WW ended their walk and guided tour by having lunch at the Flower House Café. It was a good day!
Windward Women Scheduled Hikes
Other events/activities are being planned. See the hikes already scheduled. Remember, you can always go on the SWYC website for the calendar of WW activities.
Wednesday, May 7 – Wilbert Trail SW State Park led by Leslie Flohr. Picnic afterwards at SW State Park Amphitheater.
Tuesday, May 20, 11:00 Whidbey Institute led by Stacy Taylor. Picnic in covered shelter.
Wednesday, June 4, 11:00 at Sharpe Park on Fidalgo led by Julie Demaree. Lunch in Anacortes.
Tuesday, June 10, 10:30 Pacific Rim Institute led by Jann Ledbetter with guest guide from the Pacific Rim Institute. Lunch afterwards at Goldie’s and the Roost in Coupeville.
Windward Women Scheduled Socials
Thursday, June 12, 4:00 – 6:00 at the home of Leslie Flohr. Enjoy Happy Hour with Leslie Flohr in a waterfront bluff home overlooking Admiralty Inlet. Let’s have something to drink and potluck appetizers while we watch the eagles soar and look for Orcas playing below. Bring ‘sips and dips’ to share.
Friday, August 1, 3:00 – 5:00 at the home of Gwen Coughenour. Enjoy wine, lemonade and appetizers on Gwen’s deck while viewing Mt Rainier and Seattle in the distance. She will lead the WW on a walk on sandy Useless Bay Beach and Deer Lagoon
Windward Women Book Discussion
Tuesday, July 8, 2:00 – 4:00 at the home of Ann Christensen. Join Ann as she hosts this year’s Windward Women book discussion at her home overlooking Deer Lake. The WW will be discussing The Ghosts of Whidbey Island, by local author Victoria Ventris Shea. The Windwards will have a chance to meet Victoria the week after the book discussion.
All women of the SWYC are invited to participate in Windward Women activities. Contact Fleet Captain Katy Shaner.
Leeward Men?
At the most recent Board of Directors meeting, the topic of starting a social sub-group akin to Windward Women, but for males, was raised. It was agreed that we would solicit input from our membership. If you want to hang out and commiserate about male pattern baldness, aches-and-pains, and the state of the world (and perhaps have some outings on the water or on land), let Bilge Rat know. Fleet Captain Katy Shaner has volunteered to offer advice to whoever agrees to lead the group. And perhaps she could post bail for the guys if their hijinks prove excessive.
Sailing / Racing
Pelican Fleet
Ahoy Pelicaneers. The time has come to think about summer sailing. First though, there are Pelican Viking Fleet 3 Winter/Spring events you may want to attend.
Fleet 3 Cruise – On April 26th, Pelican Viking Fleet 3 is scheduled to cruise from the Mukilteo boat launch to Possession Sound Reserve (PSR) off Humphrey Road in Clinton. SWYC had planned to launch safety boats and Pelicans at Glendale to join the mainlanders, but the Glendale ramp is now accessible only to foot traffic and motorboats are prohibited. We are therefore reverting to Plan B.
Bill Brown and Clyde Jenkins will launch safety boats at Langley Marina on the 25th and get underway around 9:00 on the 26th to escort the cruisers. We will have room for a few crew if anyone is interested. Joining the beach picnic by hiking from the PSR parking lot is also possible. Participation from the Island in Pelicans is not encouraged due to the long distances and open water. Of course, if the weather is nasty, no one will be boating or picnicking. Contact Bill Brown if you want to be part of this adventure.
Summer Racing Series – We will proceed with the race schedule published as tentative in the last newsletter and posted on the club website. Notice of Race (NOR) and Sailing Instructions (SI’s) will be published soon. We will use a mix of sound signal starts and rabbit starts depending on the available of a race committee on race days. The season starts with practice races on Lone Lake on May 14th.
Pelican Viking Fleet 3 Winter 2025 Race Schedule
| Date | Location | Potluck Host |
| 4/26/2025 | Mukilteo to Possession Sound Reserve cruise | No Host Leave beach by 10 AM. (SWYC contingent will launch at Glendale and join the cruisers.) |
| 5/10/2025 | Big Lake | Steve Ruhl & Terry Gosse |
Skipper’s Meeting 12 PM Races start at 1 PM. Be there early to rig and help set marks (and socialize). Life Jackets must be worn during club events, including racing. Races will be run with the “rabbit starts” come early for a review Potlucks – Bring your own plates, silverware, drinks and an hors d’oeuvres, salad or desert to share. Hosts provide a main dish – soup is always a good option.
An SWYC Summer Series TENTATIVE schedule is listed below. Please provide comments and suggestions to Bill Brown which will be considered prior to finalizing the schedule. Also, provide Bill with a generic statement your probability of participating in the summer series. If there are insufficient interested racers, the series may be cancelled.
| 5/14/2025 | Practice races | Lone Lake |
| 5/28/2025 | Summer Series 1 | Lone Lake |
| 6/11/2025 | Summer Series 2 | Lone Lake |
| 6/25/2025 | Summer Series 3 | Lone Lake |
| 6/27/2025 – 6/28/2025 | Aquaplooza | Langley Harbor |
| 7/9/2025 | Summer Series 4 | Venue TBD |
| 7/14/2025 | 8/1/2025 | Break during youth sailing classes |
| 8/6/2025 | Summer Series 6 | Monroe Landing |
| 8/20/2025 | August Social | Ashore |
| 9/3/2025 | Summer Series 7 (Final Races) | Monroe Landing |
As to my intentions, I will not be racing this year as Pelican 2660 (Kermit) has found a new home.
– Bill Brown
Laser Fleet
Many in the fleet have already got in tons of practice in 2025 (special shoutout Brad and Sean!). We are currently working on building the fleet, planning our 2025 clinic on April 27th at Lone Lake, and looking forward to the start of the race season!
– Zak Malbin
Cruising by Fleet Captains Jim and Kathy Rogers
2025 Shakedown Cruise
Friday, May 9 – Sunday, May 11
Destinations
May 9 Coronet Bay State Park
May 10 Port of Skagit Marina – La Conner
May 11 Port of Anacortes Marina (Cap Sante)
Leaders: Bruce Morris & Barbara Bergmann
Reach out to Bruce for all the details and to join the Shakedown Cruise.
La Conner Marina – We will be on North Basin G Dock – reservations are not required, but are highly recommended. Make reservations online at La Conner Marina.
Cap Sante Marina – We have a block of slips on C Dock. Please notify Bruce by 04/15/25, and provide Vessel Make, Boat name, LOA & beam. Slips not reserved by 04/16/25 will be released.
August Cruise
Bill and Jill Brown have signed up to lead a cruise in August. They are proposing a mid-sound itinerary starting with a Edmunds on Monday August 11th. This would be followed by two nights at Bell Harbor, one night at Winslow on Bainbridge Island and a final night at Kingston or possibly Poulsbo. Cruisers interested in this event are requested to contact the Browns by April 30 to provide comments, suggestions and a tentative boat count.
Youth Sailing Association
Class registration will open soon.
South Whidbey Parks and Recreation has now published their summer guide. Registration for our adult sailing classes begins at 9:00 am on April 16. Registration for our youth sailing classes begins at 9:00 am on April 18. These classes fill up fast. South Whidbey Parks & Recreation Registration.
Adult Sailing Lessons
May 31 and June 1, June 7 and 8 Lone Lake
Introduction to sailing at Lone Lake. Two students and an experienced instructor sail in a San Francisco Pelican. There will be slots available for 8-10 students
Introduction to Laser sailing at Lone Lake. Students must have taken our lessons in Pelicans or bring a suitable sailing resume. 4-6 students. You will learn to rig, launch, sail, land and unrig a Laser dinghy. Wetsuit or drysuit required.
Come join us for some great fun on Lone Lake learning to move these little boats around with just the wind. Learn new skills and get to know a great group of teachers and students.
Kids Sailing Lessons
July 14-18, July 21-25 July 28 – August 1 Deer Lake
Beginners sail in the 8 foot El Toro, one for each kid. We have slots for 10 students who must be at least 10 years old or have permission from the lead instructor. We have a couple of El Toros that need some serious repairs. We did purchase a very nice El Toro that we can use to replace one of the unrepaired sicker boats for lessons this year.
Intermediate sailors must be 12 years old or have permission from the head instructor. They should also have taken at least one of the beginner courses. Beginners will be accepted. They sail in Lasers, now known as ILCA Dinghies. Space is available for 8 kids.
The YSA has had some very welcome new help from John Porter, David Millar, and Pete Grimlund. John and David have been active with Laser racing and are bringing that expertise to our group of volunteers.
The YSA welcomes anyone who:
- likes to teach kids
- likes to teach adults
- wants to work on small boats
- can sit in a lawn chair for a few hours and be available as a responsible adult if a child needs to come ashore during lessons.
You will be welcome with whatever time, skills, and interest you can bring. Contact Clay Canfield for more info. Or just show up at one of our meetings. We get together at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays at a couple of different meeting places. Check the SWYC calendar for exact dates, times and places.
YSA meeting schedule in April:
4/16 9:00 a.m. Freeland Library
4/23 9:00 a.m. The Front Room, Bayview
4/30 9:00 a.m. Wifire Community Meeting Room, Freeland
David Millar and Michael Scott installed racks, shelves, and hooks so we can store Laser spars and parts neatly.
(These aren’t the glamour shots you expect in this newsletter. Those will come later.)
Meantime, behind the scenes, we have improved the lighting in the boat shed. Here’s Bill Brown showing that he no longer needs a headlamp to find his way to the back of the shed
Safety Matters #21: Lifting Overboard Crew Aboard Boat by Clay Canfield
When was the last time you practiced recovering and lifting an overboard crew back onto the boat? This is mostly for sailboats, but it also applies to power boats.
Considering that many of us cruise with just two aboard, as in husband and wife, the crew overboard procedure is not only very important, but more likely than not, falls on the wife to perform. Moreover, getting an overboard crew back aboard the boat is just that much more difficult if there is only one person to accomplish the task. In the previous newsletter, we discussed the procedure for getting the overboard crew, (COB) back to the boat, but that probably isn’t even half the battle. When someone has been in the water for only a few minutes, they are very likely not going to be much help in getting back aboard the boat. However they are likely able to at least connect themselves to a line that is thrown to them.
Suffice it to say that on most sailboats, and many power boats, there are numerous lines, blocks, and winches that can be used to lift the COB back onto the boat. However, unless one has practiced at least a couple of methods, they will be learning “on the job” while the COB is in the water becoming hypothermic. There are any number of ways to recover a COB, but the most successful usually begin with the use of a Lifesling or similar equipment, such as the Catch and Lift gear. I recommend practicing with at least a ten gallon bucket, as it weighs around 80 lbs out of the water. In the water it has no weight, making it easy to start the lift, but difficult once it is completely out of the water. Any practice procedure should assume the COB is unable to help themselves aboard, as this is the most likely scenario. I am including a link to the story of a lady who recently fell overboard in a sailboat race near Edmonds, and was rescued. I am also including two other links describing methods and equipment for facilitating a rescue.
Please bear in mind however, that crew members are most likely to fall overboard in the worst conditions, making a rescue much more challenging. For that reason, practicing under controlled conditions should at least provide some perspective on how much more difficult it will be to accomplish the same things under duress in challenging weather and sea conditions. I suspect most everyone is familiar with the “Miracle on the Hudson” event where Captain Sullivan landed his airplane on the Hudson river in an emergency. He was able to do it because pilots regularly practice emergency procedures. We should do the same!
Remember the “Nine P’s”:
Proper Prior Planning, Preparation, and Practice Prevents Pretty Poor Performance.
https://48north.com/racing/breaking-the-first-rule-of-sailboat-racing/
Coming Events
General Meeting
Wednesday, April 16th
6:30 pm
Greenbank Progressive Club Hall
Speaker: Jesse Wiegel, Race Boss-Northwest Maritime
Opening Day
Sunday, May 4
3:00 – 6:00 pm
Whidbey Island Fairgrounds Pole Barn
Opening Day is less than three weeks away. Make sure to mark your calendar.
This year we will be at the Langley Fairground Pole Barn (same as last year). Please come and support this SWYC program and enjoy an afternoon of food & drinks, fun and friends. Visit the club information booths to find out what activities are planned for this year and taste some delicious chili. Vote for your favorite chili by placing a doubloon in the cup at the table. Watch the drama as Vice-Commodore John attempts to remove the sword from the stone! Yes, you may dress as a pirate. Arggg!
Setup will begin at 1:00 on Sunday the 4th. We are requesting that someone from each of the interest groups assist in the setup beforehand and cleanup afterwards. Since there will be people bringing an El Toro, a Pelican, and a kayak, they are in a good position to assist.
The event will be a Cinco de Mayo themed pot luck. Please bring either a salad or dessert dish to share and a beverage of your choice. We will not be supplying beer or wine this year, but you can bring your own. However we will supply all the plates, cups, bowls and utensils.
Remember “be there or be square”. Please direct questions to Clay Canfield.
Fort Flagler Camping and Kayaking – All Members Welcome!
Camping & Kayaking at Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island
Sunday, June 22 – Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Come join the SWYC kayakers for 2 nights and 3 days of kayaking and playing at Fort Flagler State Park. All SWYC members are invited, whether you are a kayaker or not. If you’re not a kayaker or if conditions aren’t great to be kayaking on the water, there is sailing, trails to hike, bike paths to ride, beaches to walk, and cideries, eateries, galleries and shopping to explore in nearby Chimicum and Port Townsend. If you are a boater, there is a boat launch and limited moorage. We’ll all share group dinners and camaraderie telling sea tales by the campfire. Something for everyone!
The Wagon Wheel group campsite has been reserved and has plenty of sites for our SWYC group, with a 25-vehicle limit. There’s a large covered picnic shelter, two BBQ’s, multiple fire rings, two vault toilets and potable water access. Campers and trailers are welcome, but there are no electric hook-ups. The group site is private and apart from the general campground. It’s ~3/4 mile from the boat launch, but we also have a single campsite site reserved near the boat launch where we can store our kayaks overnight, if preferred. We’ll split the cost of the campsites once we know how many are coming.
If you prefer a single campsite in the general campground, and then just joining the group for activities, be sure to make your campsite reservations now. The sites are reserving fast. If you’re just not a camper and want to participate, some of our members have rented Air BnB’s or hotel rooms near the park. We’d love to have you along.
Also, make your reservations for the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry. Ferry reservations open at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, April 15 for our dates. Mark your calendars.
Ready for some fun and adventure? Let Barb Grimlund know if you are interested in this trip to ensure you are on all future communications for this outing.
2025 Calendar of Events
Check out our Calendar for the dates of all of our Annual Events. And be sure to get them on YOUR calendar!
SWYC Branded Clothing & Merchandise
Looking for snazzy SWYC apparel for the upcoming spring /summer boating season? Or maybe hats, canvas tote bags, aprons, towels or throws for the boat or home? Two different SWYC logos plus Windward Women logos to choose from. Make your customized selection and order on line.
Land’s End Online Store
Alternatively, Washington Design Company, here on Whidbey Island, offers a broad range of SWYC branded apparel. Shop online, then either ship to your address, or pick up at their shop in Ken’s Corner.
Washington Design Co. Online Store
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