EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB JUNE

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1 EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB JUNE 2017 Soundings Photo by Jenny Elliott 1

2 EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB 5750 Eagle Harbour Road, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V7W 1P5 Telephone: (604) Fax: office this SOUNDINGS is created by volunteers Contributing articles are welcomed on topics of general interest to members Glenn McDonell Executive responsible for Soundings Margaret Campbell editor Diane Roberts design and layout 2

3 Commodore s Message Your intrepid (well not so much) Commodore here, check-ing in and just back from New York City. I ve been there many times, but for the first time I thought I would utilize my exalted position to gain entry to the venerable New York Yacht Club. You know, just a tad older than us, founded in Thought I might schmooze with Dennis Connor. The club was reported to make available tours of the Manhattan clubhouse (top, right) featuring their noteworthy model collection sounded like a winner. However, on seeking admission, a gruff manager (could take lessons from Collen) rebuffed me. I, of course, offered them a reciprocal with our own not-quite-as-venerable Club, then the trade of a burgee, but all was to no avail. I guess they don t qualify as the friendliest big yacht club in the east? A couple of the things I learned in my research - they also have scenic backdrops for their racing (centre, right) and they get a little farther afield than Silva Bay for their outings (bottom, right). Oh well On the home front, some of you may recall that I promised (just about now) a town hall to discuss our significant initiatives. We (The Executive) have decided that we need more information on the two issues, so we are postponing this event until fall. In the meantime, look for a questionnaire soon, the responses to which should allow us to serve you in the most effective way possible. A late-breaking item Janet and I were honoured to attend the Junior Club Open House and BBQ Wednesday the 14th arranged by Callum Beveridge, Leslie Farrar (brand new to the Junior team), and the ever-present Alison Wilson. I was truly impressed by the scope 107 not-so-paid-up attendees - and the vitality that Leslie in particular, brought to the proceedings. She very ably facilitated input from members as young as 5 years regarding what we should be doing in order to serve this key constituency (hint look for a water slide on dock #9 any day now haha). Until autumn, I wish you a happy, healthy summer on the water! Derwyn Lea Scherzo 3

4 VICE COMMODORE S REPORT It s good to see more people down at the Club now that the sun is shining. The Clubhouse is in fine shape, with just a couple of maintenance projects delayed till the fall. Some windows need replacing and some outside paintwork is needed, both of which will require scaffolding. The parking lot is being well used, and the repainting of the white lines will progress to completion as weather permits. Members are asked to pay attention to two issues, relating to the tool room and the locking of the Clubhouse. There is a well stocked tool room adjacent to the junior area on the lower level of the Clubhouse. This tool room has been organized by Rob Haslam, and it is used for general Club maintenance, work parties and for members working on their boats who may need specialized tools they may not personally possess. There is a problem, however, in that there are tools going missing. Members using the tool room are reminded that any borrowed tools must be returned every day, and they are not ever to be removed from Club property, nor kept on boats. Please remember to return them. Also, if anyone knows of someone who is giving up their tools, a donation to the Club would be much appreciated. The Clubhouse is for the use of members, both individually and for Club-related events and activities. On departure, the last person out should ensure that lights are switched off, and the doors are shut, both to the front steps and the patio. This is an important security consideration, but is not always complied with. To this end, the doorstop to the front door has been removed. Thank you for your cooperation. Mark Powell Seamew REAR COMMODORE S REPORT With the summer sailing season upon us, just a reminder that kids under 12 are not permitted on the dock unless accompanied by an adult member of the Club and kids under 10 are required to wear a life jacket. Let s have a safe summer boating season. Glen Blake Balaena II 4

5 FLEET CAPTAIN S REPORT The annual EHYC Club Invitational Race took place this year on April 23, It s also the last race in the BIYC Spring Quartet Series. Entries were down again this year with only six yachts showing up for the start. Apart from the perennials Merlin and Nunnehi, it was great to see Edgar Lockhart and Brian Elliott shoo the minks off Bohemian and do the race double handed! Merlin won the event this year, and everyone was back at the dock in good time for a bowl of Collen s famous chili, buns, and salad! The crew of Merlin gets ready for the Invitational. Dave Wilson is commonly found asleep on the bow of Merlin... he says it s because he just so organized and has nothing else to do. A good wind got the boats moving. Nunnehi broaching. 5

6 This year s RNSA/FCYC Single Handed Race was held on the June 3rd 4th weekend. In terms of entries and results, this race is a very well-kept secret! I couldn t find anything on the usual websites by press time, so we will all have to wait for the next issue of Soundings to get the lowdown on that one! I would like to express my thanks to Len and Jake Brownlie for volunteering on very short notice to set the turning mark near Cape Roger Curtis for us again this year. I had thought I would be able to do it with my own new (to me) powerboat this year, however on race day it was in pieces in Ladysmith trying to resolve a slight overheating problem. I haven t quite got into the psyche of powerboating yet. When we blew out a sail racing on Grey Erik, I would just take it in to Jason at Evolution, he would repair it by next race day and give me a reasonable bill for his services. All good, and life goes on. When the powerboat needs yet one more thing done on the engine, mechanic Bob does the diagnosis and gets the job done, again with a reasonable invoice for services rendered; however I find myself cursing the whole experience. I m sure the constant engine fiddling with a 25 year old boat is a powerboat thing, and I just have to suck it up and get used to it! The annual BIYC Round Bowen Race took place on June 10th, right at press time. Looks like the registrations for this most favored race in the VARC series attracted about 125 yachts again this year! Unfortunately, BIYC do not list the entrant s yacht club affiliation, so If I ve missed an EHYC member, my apologies it looks like Bruce Winfield s Nunnehi and Norma Buchan s Tigger are the only two EHYC yachts this year. Katy Campbell s Paragon was indeed sailing on June 10th starting the first leg in the Van-Isle 360! I also understand that Dave Wilson was a stowaway for this first leg, hence the absence of Merlin in the Round Bowen Race! Best wishes to Katy and crew for this big adventure! Word has it that the rock stars on Paragon, like many others in this grueling race, are supported by yacht groupies in the form of a shore crew. Not sure exactly what they do to support the crew during the race, but it involves Mom and Dad doing some sort of land based Van-Isle 360, calling in on the various ports of contact while also visiting some of our EHYC friends from the past that have migrated to various parts of Vancouver Island! More on this in the next Soundings I m sure maybe your Soundings editor could be persuaded to write about the race from a completely different perspective! Paragon at the start of the Van Isle 360. (Photos courtesy of Arbutus Coast Yachts.) 6

7 The WVYC Wednesday Evening series began April 26th. The breakdown of divisions was changed by WVYC this season, so there is quite a range of ratings competing in a new much larger Division 1 composite! For the five races that comprise Series 1, Dave Wilson and crew on Merlin finished 4th - only two nett points behind WVYC s The Shadow (notice how I worked The Shadow in there instead of noting Merlin finished ahead of your Fleet Captain on WVYC Chris Ladd s Fortissimo!)! Katy Campbell s Paragon brought up the rear in this group, but to be fair, Paragon did not compete in the last two races. In the new Division 2 featuring boats mostly +/- 30 feet long, Bruce Winfield and crew on Nunnehi placed 6th in this first series. Very good to see a new EHYC entry in the series this year in Division 5 with Norma Buchan piloting Tigger around the buoys! A strong start for Tigger with a 2nd place overall after the first five races! I haven t spoken with Andre Wojcieszek since the space normally occupied by Radical Departure has been vacated! I am assuming Andre has sold his yacht to a new enthusiast, and we may see it competing against our colleagues instead of proudly bearing the EHYC burgee. Congratulations again Andre on all the hardware bearing your name in the trophy case at EHYC, I m sure you will enjoy your new path as you discover some of BC s spectacular northern coastlines in your new cruiser! Good Sailing! Kent Brownlow Impulse Merlin and Tigger in the Wednesday night race on May 31st. (Photos courtesy of the WVYC Race Committee.) 7

8 STAFF CAPTAIN S REPORT This is my first year as Staff Captain and I ve really enjoyed the position as I ve gotten to personally know many members. This year, several of us all got together on Dave Wilson s boat and went to Bowen Island for the Thermos Cruise, which was a great experience. We started off with an excellent meal at Bistro Rustique and after dinner we joined a private party that was happening in the pub next to the restaurant to enjoy some beverages in preparation for the next morning s competitive race! At Sailpast, we enjoyed a great meal and listened to live music played by Dan Gilmour s jazz trio, The Bullentins. The music really set the mood for our event and everybody enjoyed it. This year for the Supercruise we went to Page s Resort and Marina on Gabriola Island. Around 18 boats took part and we enjoyed amazing weather! On Sunday morning, our Commodore Derwyn Lea cooked our now traditional Club breakfast which was delicious! After that we enjoyed a good old game of Tug-o-War with sailboat members vs powerboat members. The sailboat members won some of us believe that was only because they used their rope tying skills to tie rope to the tree behind them for support! We also enjoyed a good game of bocce ball to round out a fantastic day. Dinner was a chili festival with members bringing 5 different kinds of chili which we enjoyed with an ice cold barrel of beer. Thank you to Gloria and Ken Hatfield for welcoming us in and making it feel like home for all of us. We truly enjoyed our stay. We have booked Page s Resort Marine for 20 boats next year, as they have been very accommodating. We are looking forward to next year already! Matt Gul EHYC is decked out in red and white to salute Canada s 150 th birthday. 8

9 Now let s take a look at some of the wonderful events we ve enjoyed since our last issue... Anniversary Dinner April 1 The Commodore welcomed everyone to the Anniversary Dinner and shortly afterwards, put on his dancing shoes. This year s Anniversary Dinner had a Turkish theme and a belly dancer who commanded attention. 9

10 Thermos Cruise April 8/9 Stalwarts getting ready to leave for a chilly Thermos Cruise. Fortunately it was nice and warm in the Bistro Rustique on Bowen Island! 10

11 EHYC Sailpast May 13 11

12 Supercruise May 20/21 Who will win the tug-o-war? The Supercruise gang relaxing together. The hike to Drumbeg Park. Many eager participants in the contest to guess which baby picture belonged to a current board member. Staff Captain Matt Gul, the happy organizer of a great weekend 12

13 Lobster Boil June 9 And on the flip side of things, let s not forget about all those work parties... EHYC members contribute lots to making sure our Club is in ship shape condition! Above: EHYC is decked out in red and white to salute Canada s 150 th birthday. Right: Gardeners relax after the first Landscaping work party of the year. The only person missing is Nancy Brown who was behind the camera. 13

14 Chain Gang Putting Together the New Junior Dock A good number of members turned out for the work party to put together the Junior dock. It was a bit like playing with Lego though rather more complicated. 14

15 S.S. Warrimoo: Where are you REALLY? This story was contributed by former Commodore Burke Corbet who received it from a friend. Thanks for sharing, Burke. The passenger steamer S.S. Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought the master, Captain John Phillips, the result. The Warrimoo s position was LAT 0º 31 N and LON W. The date was 31 December Know what this means? First Mate Payton broke in. We re only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line. Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime. He called his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ship s position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he adjusted the engine speed. The calm weather and clear night worked in his favor. At midnight the S.S. Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line! The consequences of this bizarre position were many: The forward part (bow) of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere & the middle of summer. The rear (stern) was in the Northern Hemisphere & in the middle of winter. The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December Forward it was 1 January This ship was therefore not only in -- two different days, two different months, two different years, two different seasons but in two different centuries - all at the same time. 15

16 A New Addition to the EHYC Art Gallery A New Addition to the EHYC Art Gallery Thanks to a generous donation from Pangea Maps, EHYC Thanks to a generous donation from Pangea Maps, EHYC now has a 3D map of now has a 3D map of Howe Sound behind the bar. Pangea makes such Howe maps Sound for any location behind that the has bar. the Pangea bathymetric makes such maps for any location that has the data and sells bathymetric them all over data the and world. sells The them data all is over the world. The data is computerized and then computerized birch and wood then birch veneers wood from veneers Finland from are Finland cut into shapes representing underwater contour are cut into intervals. shapes representing The vertical underwater scale is contour exaggerated to highlight the depths of the Sound. intervals. The vertical scale is exaggerated to highlight the depths of the Sound. Map detail in the EHYC area, Bowen Island in the centre. For more information about Pangea Maps, go to or contact Tom Percy at Members wishing to order their own 3D map can quote eagle harbour in the coupon box at checkout and get a 10% discount when ordering on line. Glenn McDonnell Sail La Vie 16